Legend of Zelda: Warrior of the Masks
by RjWaltz
Summary: Zak, a highly trained warrior from Hyrule, is chosen to embark on a quest to the dimension of Termina to rid their world of the evil possessed masks that the Hero of Time had to leave behind. He and the local farm girl, Romani, set out on a quest to vanquish the masks and save the land of Termina. Along the way, Zak is forced to come to terms with the secrets about his father.
1. Chapter 1: Keaton Mask

Chapter 1: Keaton Mask.

Zak knew what to expect when he set off into the Lost Woods. He approached the tree trunk where his mentor had fallen through to the bizarre new land. Zak held his breath and stepped forward. Inky blackness surrounded him as he fell, along with queer images of crudely drawn Zoras made of rainbow colored light. The ground beneath him caught him at a slant, and he slid down it. He could feel the slide underneath him gradually sloping up until he came to a stop. Still in pitch black darkness, Zak felt around with his hands until he touched a wall in front of him. He pushed against it, and a crack shined light through it. With spear in hand, he wedged the butt of it into the crack and pried at the wall until it gave way.

Zak found himself in a square house, completely devoid of life. He kicked the remains of the wall out of his way and headed towards the door. His eyes burned, and he squinted against the sheer brightness of the sun. _The beach? This isn't right,_ he thought to himself. Based on his mentor's experiences, he should've ended up in Clock Town. However, he didn't have time to figure out why when his thoughts were interrupted by a girl's loud scream. Swiftly he ran underneath the natural rock bridge to another portion of the beach. He spotted a covered wagon on the sand, which was where the girl's scream had come from. A low guttural growl came from the other side of the wagon. Zak poked his head around the corner to investigate.

A large yellow claw swung at him, forcing him to jump back in surprise. The owner of the claw, a rather feral and nasty looking Keaton, growled and snapped at him. Zak narrowed his eyes, unsure of what he was looking for. He and the Keaton encircled one another, its jaws leaking out foam menacingly. Zak knew that if the creature, which was as big as a small horse, pounced on him directly, it could do some serious damage. Slowly and deliberately he pulled out his spear, and the Keaton crouched down, ready to pounce. He stopped circling, his back to the small creek draining the water from the waterfall to his right. The Keaton pounced, and Zak rolled to the side as it did. It flew into the water.

The water startled it, and it thrashed around like mad. Quickly Zak jumped into the water and stabbed at it with his spear. Due to its struggling, he only managed to get tuffs of its fur. The Keaton squirmed away from his grasp and swam off towards the Zora habitat in the distance. Zak resurfaced, placed the mask dangling around his neck over his mouth, and dove after it. His superior swimming speed allowed him to catch up with the Keaton. It darted through the water in a desperate attempt to get away. He stabbed at it a few times, with his last attack finally hitting its mark. The Keaton struggled and thrashed for a few minutes, but couldn't reach him due to the spear's length. After it ran out of steam, the Keaton stopped moving.

Zak grabbed it by the back of its neck and swam back to the shore. Several fish-like figures darted past him, clearly the locals investigating the commotion. He knew that they would aggressively question him once he reached the shore.

He surfaced to the sight of three Zoras brandishing spears at him. Calmly he put away his spear onto his back and tossed the dead Keaton onto the beach.

"State your business," the leader Zora demanded, "Who are you and what do you want?"

"Back off," Zak replied sternly, "What I'm doing here is no concern of yours. Now, let me deal with that monster over there before it does any more damage." The Zoras didn't budge. When the Keaton flopped around next to them, however, they jumped back, startled. Zak pulled out a small piece of grass from one of his pouches and blew into it. He played a soft and melodious tune, which caused the Keaton to stop its thrashing. It dissolved into smoke, leaving behind only its face as a sort of mask. Zak stabbed his spear straight down through the mask, splitting it in two. A small white light drifted up into the sky and dissipated.

"Hey, you," Zak barked at the youngest Zora, "That instrument on your side. Give it to me." Before asking for clarification, he grabbed the object in question from the Zora's side and yanked it off of him. He put the bronze object into his pouch. "You three, get out of here before you get hurt." Thinking he was talking about himself, the three Zoras bolted back into the water to their habitat.

The girl in the wagon poked her head out. Zak's eyes widened slightly when he saw her face. "Excuse me," she said shyly, "I-is it really gone?"

Zak nodded, "Yes, the Keaton is gone for good. What's your name?"

She swallowed nervously, "I'm Romani. Who are you? What are you doing here?"

He bowed slightly, "My name is Zakku. I go by Zak, and I am here in Termina to destroy something my mentor left behind."

Her eyes lit up, "You mean like those monsters that have been popping up everywhere lately?"

He nodded, "Well, that's the start of it."

She lunged forwards and grabbed his hand, practically dragging him into her wagon, "Come with me, quickly! I need your help at my ranch. It's under attack!"


	2. Chapter 2: Bunny Hood

(A/N: Hello, my name is Rj Waltz. I forgot to introduce myself earlier, sorry about that. This is my fanfiction, called Legend of Zelda, Warrior of the Masks, set in the Majora's Mask video game world. I have been playing this game off and on since it came out, and I love everything about it. I came up with this fanfic many years ago, and I sincerely hope you enjoy it. Please feel free to leave a review at any time. Also, I plan on updating this once a week until it is finished. Thanks for reading.)

Chapter 2: Bunny Hood.

Zak sat in the back of Romani's wagon. He laid out his gear in front of him in an attempt to dry it off while she drove the wagon towards the ranch. His sword remained in its sheath, but he made sure to put it in the sunny part of the wagon's carriage to rid the sheath of excess moisture. The spear, once he managed to clean the animal blood from it, seemed fine. The Keaton's claws turned out not to be sharp enough to cut into the coral the staff was made out of, not that he would've minded a few scratches. He put his breathing apparatus next to his sword so it could dry as well. Inspecting his shield, he looked up to see Romani watching him.

"Yes?" he arched an eyebrow, "Can I help you?"

She glanced forward, too nervous to speak. After a few moments, she said, "Um, I was wondering, what did you take from that Zora earlier?"

Zak held up a bronze contraption for her to inspect. It had a chain twisted around it which was attached to its pointed end, and he held it by the handle. She tried to take it, but found it too heavy for her to hold in one hand like he was able to do.

"It's called a hookshot. Well, I think it is, anyway. The one I have back home looks much different," he explained.

She tilted her head slightly, as if trying to remember something, "Now that you mention it, I think I've seen something like this, before. Around the time that the moon was supposed to crash down onto Clock Town, I think."

Zak took the hookshot back from her, "So, ten years ago?"

She nodded, "That's right. You weren't there, were you?"

He shook his head, "No. This is the first time I've been to Termina. One of my mentors came here when he was a kid."

"Oh, we're here!" Romani interrupted him.

Zak examined the farm. The rolling hills leading up to the farmhouse offered little in the way of tactical advantage. What he did see out of the ordinary was some sort of furry creatures racing all around the farm at a speed that made it hard from him to discern exactly what it was. From what he could make out, Zak estimated that the creature looked bigger than the Keaton, and ran on all fours. When it changed direction, Zak caught the glimpse of two huge ears on top of its head. He gathered his belongings and walked away from the wagon to set up. Romani followed him, mostly out of curiosity.

He watched the creature and slowly picked up on its pattern. He paced the length of the farm until he sank his spear tip into the dirt near the cucco shack. Romani watched him without saying a word. Zak pulled out the hookshot and released some of its chain. He looped it loosely around the spear shaft and pulled it tight. Much to Romani's surprise, he pulled his shield off of his back and dropped it onto the ground. He stuck his feet into the special leather straps he had put in the center of the shield behind the ones for his arm.

"Umm," Romani said, concerned, "What is it that you're planning to do, exactly?"

Zak pulled the chain's slack, "In a moment, the creature is going to pass by this area. When it does, it'll run through this chain. When it does, the chain with come unattached, and the hookshot will stick to the creature. When that happens, I'll be dragged along with it."

She nodded, bewildered by his plan, "So you're going to sled on the shield behind it until you can stab it?"

He shook his head, "No. It's running too fast. I won't be able to do much except hold on. You'll have to take it out. Go get your bow. When it gets tired, shoot it."

Realizing what he wanted, Romani scurried off to fetch her bow. Zak crouched down and waited for the beast to loop around the outskirts of the farm. It ran towards him, and he lowered the chain so it wouldn't see it. When it got close, Zak yanked the chain tight, and the creature ran right through it without slowing down. His arm yanked as he flew off with it at a fast speed. The creature panicked and sped up, which caused Zak to crouch down lower as he slid across the ground on his shield. It looped around, sending him flying in a wide arc, and he gripped the chain and the hookshot with both arms. His eyes widened as it darted between the outer fence and the house. With a loud grunt, he bounced up and slid his shield across the side of the house, narrowly avoiding a pile of rocks and bushes that would've taken him off of his feet. As the creature ran in a straight path, he engaged the hookshot's retraction, which brought him closer to the creature. It thrashed around and jumped up in the air a few times, but Zak held his firm grip on it. The creature bolted towards a hole that it had made beneath the cucco shack. Zak's eyes widened when he spotted it.

"Now or never!" he shouted. An arrow sailed past him and plunged right into the creature's hindquarters. It stumbled and tripped, crashing into the cucco shack. Zak jumped with the shield and angled his feet in front of him as he crashed right into the cucco shack's door. Romani screamed in shock and ran to him. She pulled the debris off of him. Zak coughed and sputtered. The hookshot chain twitched in his hand. He stood up, dusted off his black tunic, and followed the chain out to the creature.

The rabbit monster looked to be an oversized rabbit. Overall, it looked to be about Zak's size if it stood on two legs, and was covered in a light tan fur. The legs made up a majority of its body, them being tall, thick, and muscular. Its body appeared to be skinny, with its ribs showing through its chest. Upon impact, the creature snapped its neck on the corner of the building.

"Stand back," Zak ordered when the body began flopping around. He returned his shield to his back and pulled out the blade of grass. He played the same song he had for the Keaton, and the rabbit creature dissolved into a hood with beady eyes and large bunny ears. Romani smiled, finding the hood kind of cute. Zak chopped it in half with the edge of his shield, which made her a little sad. A white ball of energy drifted up in the air before dissipating. Zak retracted the hookshot's chain and put it away.

"Hey," Romani pouted, "I kind of liked that mask. Why'd you have to break it like that?"

He pulled his spear out of the dirt and headed back to her, placing it in its spot on his back, "If you liked the design, I can make you one that looks just like it. That particular mask had to be destroyed."

Her eyes lit up, "Really? You can do that?"

He smiled, "Sure. That was a great shot, by the way. You're pretty handy with a bow. I'm not good with ranged weapons."

She posed with her bow, "That's right. I'm the greatest shot in Termina. Ask anyone. I sure saved your bacon back there."

He laughed, "Thanks. I should be going, though, I have a lot more of these monsters to hunt down."

She crossed her arms, "I don't think so. You're not going anywhere until I make you dinner. C'mon." She grabbed his arm and started pulling him towards the farm house. "Please? It's the least I can do," she added. Zak sighed and followed her towards the house.


	3. Chapter 3: Bremen Mask

Chapter 3: Bremen Mask

Zak ate the meal that Romani's sister, Cremia, had prepared with complete silence. The two sisters stared at him, unsure of what to say to break the rapidly growing awkward silence. Cremia looked over at her sister, giving her a look that suggested that she start up a conversation. Romani blushed and looked down at her bowl.

"So," Cremia said, glaring at her sister, "Romani tells me that you're here to kill a bunch of monsters, huh. Sounds fun."

He coughed, "This stew is great. You can really taste the milk." Zak looked up at Cremia, "That's right. My old mentor told me to come here and clean up his mess."

Cremia looked him up and down, "You can't be much older than my little sister. Should you really be running around with such dangerous weapons? You could get hurt."

Zak smiled, "Romani and I are roughly the same age, yes."

Cremia frowned, frustrated, "Well, if you're looking for mysterious rumors, I heard something in town that might be interesting to you. The guys in Clock Town told me that there are feathers that keep appearing in the laundry pool. No one can figure out where they are coming from. Could be fun to check out, right?"

Zak narrowed his eyes infinitesimally, "Thanks for the meal. I'll head out now."

Romani looked between him and her sister, "B-but, you just got here. Can he stay the night, sis? Please? He got rid of the rabbit for us."

Cremia sighed, "I suppose we can clear out the spare room for him. What do you say, Zak?"

He stood up and took his bowl into the kitchen, "That won't be necessary. I can't sleep on a bed. I'll take a room in your barn outside, if that's alright." Cremia had no reason to object, despite Romani's desperate looks, and agreed. After Zak helped them clean up, he headed outside to the barn as the sun set in the horizon. After she got Romani to sleep, Cremia crept out and slipped into the barn. Much to her surprise, she found Zak sitting on an empty jug of milk inspecting his spear.

"Hey," she said, "Can I ask you for a favor?" He looked up from his work, but said nothing. "I'm not stupid. I have heard and seen several of these creatures running amok and destroying everything in sight. The thing is, I don't want Romani to get involved. She gave me a huge scare a few years ago with some crazy alien nonsense. Thought that aliens were abducting the cows or something. Could you leave before she gets up?"

Zak nodded, "That's why I chose to stay out here. I don't want her to get hurt, either." Cremia turned and grabbed the doorknob. "One more thing," he added, "Just so you know, I could've gotten badly injured if it wasn't for your sister. I'm not saying that she should be out slaying monsters, but she's not as fragile as you think she is."

The next morning, Zak headed out from the ranch and made his way to Clock Town. Aside from a bizarre blue-headed bird following him, Zak didn't run into any trouble. He headed through the South gate and into West Clock Town. Zak walked up the slope to the banker, and immediately ducked behind some pots. Romani looked around the place above him. _Please don't let her see me. Please don't let her see me,_ he thought to himself.

"Hey, Zak! You forgot me!" she scampered over to him. He cursed under his breath. "What are you doing near those pots?"

He dusted himself off, "Just, uh, checking them for spare rupees. What are you doing here, Romani?"

She smiled, "Why, I'm here to help you, of course. You're here to fight against the bird thing, right?"

He sighed, "Yeah, that's right. I should've known that you'd come and meet me here. Your sister can't know that you're here."

She punched him playfully on the shoulder, "I understand. You act like I haven't done something like this, before."

"Fine, fair enough. Here's the deal, though," he walked up to the banker, "If you're going to travel with me, you'll have to pull your weight. I can't protect you and fight at the same time."

The banker pantomimed looking at an invisible stamp on Zak's head, "Ah, yes, Link. You have 5,499 rupees saved up. What would you like to do?"

"Give me two hundred," Zak said with a smile. The banker handed him four purple rupees, as per Zak's instruction, which Zak put in his wallet.

"Alright, Link, you now have 5,299 rupees saved up. Have a nice day," the banker said cheerfully to Zak as he walked off.

"Link?" Romani asked.

He smiled, "It's a long story. Here, I may need some of these." Zak stepped into the bomb shop. The owner greeted him with a nod. He walked up and pointed to the bomb bag.

The owner looked him up and down, "Two-hundred."

Zak slapped a purple rupee on the counter, "Fifty." The owner nodded and sold him the bomb bag. After Zak looked through it to make sure it was filled with bombs, he sighed, "You know, it would be great if I could use these underwater. I'll see you around." He left the shop with Romani in tow. As they headed to South Clock Town, he handed her the bomb bag.

"Why do you want me to carry this?" she asked, bewildered.

"It's called pulling your own weight," he replied. The two walked in silence until they made it to East Clock Town, where Zak walked up the stairs towards the mayor's office. He headed for a unassuming hole in the wall, but stopped short. "There's supposed to be a lookout for the Bomber's here," he thought out loud. Cautiously, Zak drew his spear and headed into the hole. Romani pulled out her bow and followed him.

Once inside the secret tunnel, Romani gasped when it opened up to a larger room with water. Zak pushed the cuccos sleeping on the ground out of his way with his foot. He headed to the water's edge and dipped his toe in. He swirled the water around with his foot. Satisfied, he climbs down into it.

"Keep watch," he whispered to Romani, "I have a good idea about what it is we're up against. When I wake it up, the cuccos are going to retaliate. Drop a bomb and run if they swarm you." She nodded nervously while Zak treaded through the water towards the far end of the tunnel. In front of him he could make out a large feathered ball wedged in the water. As he inched closer, it moved. The monster let out a startled cry, and the cuccos immediately sprang up. Romani struggled to get a bomb, but they flew right past her to Zak. He dove all the way in the water as they flew overhead. He resurfaced to the cuccos flying at his face. With a swear he dove underwater once more, this time swimming towards the monster. It shrank away from him, shrieking for anything that could hear it. Zak stabbed with his spear a few times before resurfacing. The cuccos swarmed him. He swatted at them with his hands. An arrow flew past him and hit the monster in the face. It thrashed around. While swatting away the birds, Zak stabbed at the bird monster again. Upon making impact, Zak realized that it was stuck, too big for the walls around it. Knowing this fact, Zak shoved his spear through it and finished it off.

The bird monster fell limp, and its body twitched lightly. Zak pulled out the blade of grass and blew, but it was too wet to make the sounds he needed it to. Desperately he swatted at the cuccos. A voice sang out the notes he had played for the rabbit, and the bird monster's body dissolved into a mask with feathers and a beak. Zak grabbed it out of the water and pinned it against the wall with his spear. The mask fell in half and a white ball of light drifted from it and dissipated. The cuccos became docile and scurried off towards the entrance in search of light.

"Are you alright?" Romani yelled down the tunnel, "I didn't hear you play the song, so I sang it. Did we get it?"

"Yeah, we got it," he called out, "And I'm fine. A few cucco scratches and pecks, though."

Romani giggled, "I have just the thing for that back home. Let's go." Zak trudged through the water and pulled himself out. The two of them headed out towards the ranch.


	4. Chapter 4: Mask of Scents

Chapter 4: Mask of Scents.

Zak sat on a small wooden box in the barn, hunched over a bucket full of a sticky brown liquid. He dipped a Deku stick into the bucket. After letting it sit for a little while, he pulled it out and let the excess liquid drip off of the stick before turning it around and dipping the other end into the bucket. As he let it sit, he took a drink of spring water out of a bottle nearby and wiped the sweat from his brow. A small knock came from the door, and Romani slipped inside the barn.

"What are you doing in here?" she asked, "And what smells like honey?"

"It's an old Geru, uh, um, a recipe I learned from my father," Zak replied awkwardly, "It's a mixture of mostly beeswax and oil."

She blinked, "Oh, alright. Why are you dipping sticks into it?"

He pulled the Deku stick out of the bucket and let the excess liquid drip off of it, "It hardens the stick so it can take punishment without breaking as easily. It's what spear shafts are made out of where I come from."

Romani set the milking pail in her hands down next to the cows, "Are you planning to make more spears? The one you have looks pretty strong."

Zak pointed to it, "Go ahead and pick it up." She nodded and walked over to it. With both of her hands, she lifted it a few centimeters off of the ground before setting it back down.

"Wow, that's heavy," she remarked, surprised that Zak could use it one-handed.

He nodded, "There are situations where my spear is too unwieldy. Fast opponents, and foes larger than me that I have to climb to harm, for instance. So, if I can make a Deku stick that can withstand strikes without it breaking, it gives me a lighter alternative."

She marveled, "How do you learn such cool stuff? Anyway, enough chit chat. I have to milk the cows, now, so if you could just..." her eyes followed his pointed finger to several pails full of milk.

Zak smiled, "I took care of it. The cows were making a fuss. I hope you don't mind."

"No, that's okay," she grabbed a pail, "Since you're so helpful, mind helping me carry these inside?" Zak placed the stick next to his spear, grabbed the other pail, and followed her to the house.

"So, how does someone know so much about fighting _and_ how to take care of things on a ranch?" Romani asked.

He smirked, "You're jealous, aren't you. Well, my father is a master swordsman, and my mother owns a ranch back home. Lon Lon Ranch. Ours wasn't named after me, unfortunately."

She stuck her tongue out at him as they approached the front door. Romani set her pail down on the table and he set his down next to hers. Cremia grabbed Zak by the hand and pulled him outside.

"Thanks for your help," she remarked, "Listen, I just received word from a friend of mine near the swamp. He runs a bow shooting gallery. Anyway, he's having some trouble with a gigantic pig lounging in his supply of spring water outside of his shop. Sounds like something you can take care of, right? Please say yes."

Zak patted her shoulder, "I'll take care of it. Distract Romani so I can slip out, will you?" Cremia nodded, and Zak ran back to the barn and gathered his weapons. He grabbed the Deku stick and whacked it against the wall. It snapped in half. Cursing, he discarded it, dipped another in the bucket, and headed out towards the swamp.

Half there, he heard the sounds of a horse drawn wagon approaching behind him. He looked over his shoulder to see Romani grinning at him from the driver seat. He sighed and slowed down to let her catch up with him. Zak pulled himself up and rode next to her in silence until they arrived at the shooting gallery.

"Wait here," he ordered, and jumped down off of the wagon. The boar monster turned to face him, grunting with each step it took. The monstrosity stood twice as big as the wagon, but most of its size came from its torso region. Its fat legs barely supported its body. Its pink flesh rippled, and it squealed like crazy.

"Romani!" Zak shouted while pulled out his spear, "Go inside the shooting gallery for this fight."

"No way," she grabbed her bow and aimed an arrow at the monster. Zak grabbed the mask dangling around his neck and shoved it over his face. The boar opened its mouth and spewed out a thick purple goo that splattered along the ground. It's immensely sweet smell quickly overwhelmed Romani, who fell to her knees coughing. Zak rushed the boar and kicked it hard in the jaw. Its belly shrank to a point where it could move, and it thrust its head into his stomach and flung him back a few meters. Zak rolled backwards as he landed, his spear sticking into the ground next to Romani. She yelped in surprise. He jumped up to his feet, readjusted his mask over his face, and charged the beast again, grabbing his spear as he ran by. The boar reared up on its hind legs and spewed the purple liquid up in the air, which rained down on Romani. The scent knocked her out cold fairly quickly. Zak smashed the boar's jaw with his shield. It locked up his arm with its tusks, but he manged to keep it from flinging him away. The beast pushed against him in an attempt to overpower him. Zak shoved back with all of his might, but felt his feet sliding across the ground. The boar vomited out the purple liquid, which collided with the shield and bounced back into its face. The boar reeled blindly, kicking its feet wildly. Zak jumped back and put his shield away. The boar charged off in the direction of Clock Town. Without hesitation, Zak unattached the horse from the wagon, climbed on it, and gave chase. Romani, still dazed from the smell, crawled down to the spring water. She splashed her face.

Zak caught up to the boar. Instead of risking the horse's life by riding beside it, he brought his legs onto the saddle and slowly stood up to a crouched position on the horse. He jumped off, landing onto the boar's back. Quickly he grabbed on to whatever he could manage while it thrashed about. The boar ran headlong into a dead tree, which sent Zak into it as well. He pushed off of the tree and grabbed the hilt of his sword. Hesitating, he then grabbed his spear and pulled it off of his back. With a swift blow, he pierced the boar monster's head. He rolled off as it spewed out purple liquid. As soon as it stopped thrashing about, Zak pulled down his mask and played the song with his blade of grass. The boar's body dissolved, and all that remained was a hideous pink boar mask. He sliced it in half with his spear. The white light floated up out of it before dissipating. Zak returned to Romani, who had mostly recovered from the ordeal. The horse wandered back, as well. Zak lead it to the wagon and hooked it back up, and then looked over the wagon's covering. It was soaked with the purple goo.

Romani laughed when she saw it, "Hey, I have an idea. How about you clean that off for me? I'm going to try my luck at the shooting gallery." Zak shot her a glare, but she skipped off to the shooting gallery, humming the song to herself.


	5. Chapter 5: Romani's Mask

Chapter 5: Romani's Mask.

Zak bent his neck to the side just as an arrow flew past. It stuck into the target behind him. He smiled a little. Romani groaned angrily. She notched another arrow and fired without aiming. Zak grabbed the arrow with his hand mere seconds before it stuck him through the face, his eyes wide.

"Sorry," she dropped the bow and hurried over to him, "Are you alright?"

He tossed the arrow aside, "I'm fine, but please take your time and try to aim your shots a little better."

Romani frowned, "You're right. Of course. Hey, how come you don't use ranged weapons like bows while you're fighting?"

He shrugged, "I'm actually not the greatest shot with a bow. Besides, I usually fight enemies that don't give me the option to aim at them."

"Maybe I should learn how to take care of myself if that happens," she sighed. Romani looked up at the sun, holding her hand up and closing one eye. Using her fingers, she measured the time. "Cremia's probably done with dinner by now. Are you hungry?"

Zak nodded, "I could eat. Let's head in." The two of them headed towards the farmhouse. Zak rubbed the soreness from the boar monster fight out of his neck. Truthfully, he didn't get hurt too badly from the fight, but got sore from trying to clean the mess off of Romani's wagon. He would have to figure out a better mode of transportation before too long.

"Hey," Romani clonked him on the head lightly with her knuckles, "Don't go spacing out on me. Did you hear what I said?"

He smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry. My mind was elsewhere. Could you repeat that?"

"Well," she said in a huff, "Cremia told me that there are two blacksmiths that life up North, in the mountains. They ordered an entire wagon full of Chateau Romani. They're throwing some sort of party, I guess. Cremia asked me to deliver it tonight."

He nodded, "Well, have fun."

Romani rolled her eyes, "I want you to go with me. Who knows what kind of monsters are out there? I could get horribly murdered. Poor, defenseless, little ol' me..."

"Yeah, yeah," he waved his hand, "You've made your point. Why are we really going to the mountains at night?"

She stopped walking and leaned in for a whisper, "Well, the delivery is real, but, more importantly, I've been hearing rumors about a gigantic bull roaming around in North Termina field at night. Sounds pretty serious to me."

Zak's eyes widened, "A giant bull? What kind of bull? Is it metallic?"

She eyed him, bewildered, "Um, no. Why would a bull be metallic?"

He blinked, "Never mind. Alright, I'm in. I can't ask you to take out this bull by yourself, after all."

Cremia poked her head through the door, "Hey, guys? Dinner's ready. Hurry up!"

After the three of them ate Cremia's vegetable stew in mostly silence, Zak assisted them in loading up the Chateau Romani in the back of the wagon. He pushed the last crate into place with a huff and breathed a loud sigh. Cremia touched him on the shoulder and lead him around the back of the barn.

"Zak, I'm glad you're going, but do you really have to bring your weapons with you?" she asked, concerned.

He nodded, "Romani told me that there have been sightings of a wild animal in North Termina field. It's just a precaution, I swear. You can come with us, if you're concerned."

She shook her head, "That's alright. Listen, I wanted to thank you for staying here while you're on your mission. You've been a great help around the ranch, and Romani seems to have taken a shine to you."

He smiled, "It's not a problem, Mom." She stared at him awkwardly. "S-s-sorry!" his face burned, "You remind me of my mom, that's all."

She chuckled a bit, "Well, that's flattering. Do you think I'd make a good mother?"

He looked away, embarrassed, "I'm not sure if I know the answer to that."

Cremia slapped him on the back, "I'm just kidding, kiddo. Hey, when you get back, I have a reward for you." He nodded, and ran out to meet Romani at the wagon. He loaded up his spear, shield, and Deku stick into the wagon, while he kept his sword strapped to his back.

"What did you and my sister talk about?" Romani asked, curious.

"Well," Zak rubbed the back of his head, "It's nothing important."

Zak stretched his arms while riding the wagon through Termina field. He couldn't help but yawn at the slow, methodical pace of the horse pulling the cart along. Romani, who was watching him out of the corner of her eye, smiled. He kicked his feet up when the wagon turned down the slope towards the beach. They traveled along the cliff face, passing underneath a few mushroom shaped rock formations. The horse immediately stopped. Zak grabbed his spear as a large black and white bull stared them down. Romani slowly reached back and pulled out her bow. The bull snorted. It looked ready to charge.

Zak jumped out and ran sideways, whistling at the bull. The bull stamped it front hoof on the ground, causing poofs of dirt to rise up. It roared and charged at full speed at him. Zak tumbled sideways as it crashed into the side wall. Romani fired a few arrows at it, but they bounced off of its hide harmlessly. It reared, kicking its hind legs at Zak furiously. He backflipped out of its range. Romani threw his shield out at him, and he ran towards it. Zak dove for the shield just as the bull charged him. He grabbed it and tumbled out of the way as the bull ran by him.

Zak stood up, dizzy from his tumble. The bull stared him down, readying itself for another charge. Zak narrowed his eyes. He circled around the bull until his back pressed against the mushroom rock formation. The bull charged, and Zak dodged to the side. He swung his spear, which clipped the bull's leg. It crashed into the rock, which collapsed down onto it. Zak bolted out of the way of the sliding rocks. He approached the bull cautiously, brushing off some of the rocks from its hide. It moved, and Zak plunged his spear deep into it. The bull stopped moving. He pulled out the blade of grass and played the song. The bull's body dissolved, untill all that was left was a cow's hood. Romani gasped when Zak stabbed it with his spear. It fell in half. A shimmering white light drifted out of it before dissipating

"I don't believe it," she remarked, "My sister makes all of those masks for the Milk Bar in Clock Town. How did this happen? What about the rest of the masks?"

Zak sheathed his spear in the holster on his back, "It's a long story. I'll get into it at some other time. The other masks are fine, it was only this one that this happened to. For now, let's focus on delivering that milk."

The two rode in silence until they arrived at the blacksmith's Mount Smithy. The two blacksmiths took the crates of Chateau Romani from the wagon and handed Romani a large bag of rupees for her trouble. The small one, Zubora, grabbed Zak by the shoulder.

"Excuse me, young man, but where did you get that sword?" he asked, curious.

Zak smiled, "It was my father's sword."

He eyed it with amazement, "It's a fine piece of craftsmanship. Who made it?"

"Gorons, from my homeland. They call it the Giant's Toothpick," he laughed, "The Goron blacksmiths from my homeland stand hundreds of feet in height."

"I see, I see," he marveled, "I think my associate and I can help you out, if you ever need an upgrade. Keep us in mind."

Zak nodded. The larger one, Gabora, growled affectionately to Romani, who scurried over behind Zak. The two of them said their goodbyes and headed back down to the ranch.

"Hey," Romani looked at Zak's sword hilt, "I was meaning to ask. Why don't you use your sword? I mean, you take it with you all of the time, but I've never seen you draw it."

Zak's expression turned serious, "My sword is for the enemies I can't defeat any other way. This may be hard to believe, but I am a master swordsman. The techniques I know about sword fighting are incredibly deadly."

She swallowed hard, "I'd hate to see an enemy you have trouble beating."

"Me too," he replied honestly.

Romani pulled into the ranch with a yawn. She unhooked her horse and lead it into the barn as Zak headed into the house. Cremia handed him a bottle of something.

"Here," she said happily, "It's our famous Chateau Romani. It's for adults, but I think you've earned it. Give it a try."

Zak drank the whole thing, "Wow, this is amazing! Although, I feel a little strange. Energized, somehow. What is this?"

She patted him on the shoulder, "That's the sign of you becoming a man, Zak."

He smiled, "Oh, hey. Mind if I keep this bottle?"


	6. Chapter 6: Great Fairy's Mask

Chapter 6: Great Fairy's Mask.

Zak walked alongside Romani as she skipped down the dirt path of North Clock Town with a bag of rupees in hand. He couldn't help but sigh, adjusting the spear on his back. She looked over at him, her expression becoming more annoyed.

"Look, just because you didn't have any fun, that doesn't mean it wasn't a good day," she pouted.

He sighed, "Yeah, I enjoy a farmer's market as much as the next guy. What I was really hoping for was that rumor about the stone wall to actually pay off for me. Of course it would be a bunch of kids making stuff up. How could I be so foolish?"

She smiled, "I think you're being too hard on yourself, Zak. These things will come, you should be more patient."

"I suppose you're right," he said. Several lights flew overhead, headed for a nearby opening. Zak blinked a few times as hundreds more zoomed into the cave. "What the-"

Romani shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand, "I can't quite tell what those are... are they fireflies?"

Zak swallowed hard, "No, those are fairies. Wait here, alright? I'm going to check it out."

"Wait, are you sure?" she called out, but Zak already took off running to the cave's opening. He stepped inside cautiously, his hand on his spear. The cave lit up as he entered into a huge fountain of sorts. The fairies twirled and danced near the center. He approached them, ignoring the ankle deep water below him. Once they spotted him, they swarmed around him and chimed frantically.

Zak swatted them away from his face, "Hey, hey, one at a time. I can't understand you all at once."

A pink fairy drifted in front of him, "It's just awful! Some sort of impostor is trashing the Deku Scrub's sacred temple! It looks just like the Great Fairy of Magic."

Zak exhaled, "I was wondering when this one would show up. Listen, I'll deal with this impostor. Just tell me how to get to the temple."

The fairies swirled around him happily. The one in front of him dinged alarmingly, "You have the power of Farore's Wind, warrior? In that case, we can teleport you straight to the temple."

He sighed, "I do, but that was supposed to be a secret. Alright, I'm ready when you guys are. Let's go." The fairies spun around him at great speed. Zak felt himself drift up into the air. Magical blue crystal surrounded him, and he warped off to the temple. When he arrived, he drifted down and landed in the waist deep water. All he could see was water and logs in the swamp. Without hesitation, he drew his spear. A large pink female figure circled him overhead.

The monster landed in front of him, flipping its hair with its long nails and winking at him. Zak gasped a little. If he didn't know better, he wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between it and a Great Fairy. The fairy monster held out its hand to him, studying him. After a few seconds, a large fireball erupted out of its fingertips. Zak dodged, plunging into the water. The fireball exploded when it hit the water, which launched a wall of water at him. He jumped at it, pushing through the wave with his shield. The fairy monster flew up high and shot several icicles at him. Zak dodged as best as he could, until he was cornered. He rose his shield to block the ice spears raining down on him.

The fairy monster cackled, floating high above the swamp. It launched several fireballs at Zak while it turned its attention to the temple. As he dodged the onslaught, Zak noticed a massive gust of wind as the fairy monster conjured up a gigantic tornado of green magic. The tornado sucked in most of the water at the center of the swamp, and a massive portion of land rose slowly due to its influence. Zak trudged through the water, spear in hand. He took in a deep breath as he sheathed his spear. As the temple rose out of the swamp, he pulled out his hookshot and aimed at the trees near the top. The second the tornado dissipated, Zak fired. He hooked onto the tree and tugged to make sure the line was solid. He pressed the retraction lever on the hookshot, and walked up the side of the temple. The fairy monster preoccupied itself by inspecting the temple. It touched various parts of the entrance, unsure of what it was seeing. Zak reached the top of the temple just as it spotted him. The fairy monster summoned a huge gust of wind, and Zak dug his spear into the temple roof to keep from flying off. Unsatisfied, the fairy monster fired multiple blue diamonds at Zak, who narrowly avoided them. He charged her, only to be diverted with a barrage of fireballs.

 _Damn it,_ he narrowed his eyes, _I can't get close to it. This thing could keep me at bay all day, if it wanted to._ Zak looked around to see what he could find. His eyes fixated on the tree he used to climb. Swiftly, he fired his hookshot at the trunk. It stabbed perfectly into the tree just as the fairy monster fired another mighty gust of wind at him. Zak jumped backwards, allowing the wind to carry him. He spun around the tree, through the air, and flew off at the fairy monster. It tried to fly out of his way, but Zak managed to catch it around the ankle. He climbed it as it thrashed around in the air, firing spells in all directions. Zak held on until it started to tire out. He managed to hold on until it hovered over the water before his grip loosened. The fairy monster surrounded itself in a green tornado, which pitched him through the air. Zak crashed onto the roof of the temple, where his spear and hookshot were waiting for him.

Zak pulled his hookshot free and hooked it onto his belt, and grabbed his spear. He turned around to see that the fairy monster had charged up a fireball larger than the Deku Scrub's temple. He narrowed his eyes.

"Alright, fine," he said while running the length of the temple, "You leave me no choice." The fairy monster fired the fire spell at him. Zak's free hand glowed with a green magical light, and he vanished in a bright green light. Zak appeared above the fairy monster, his spear brandished at it. The spear stabbed down into its torso, and gravity sent them plummeting into the swamp below.

Once Zak managed to stand up, the fairy monster's body started to flop around on the ground. He put the grass to his lips and played the song. Its body dissolved until all that remained was its face. With a deft stab, he sliced the mask straight in half. The shimmering white light drifted out of it before dissipating. Zak fell to his knees. Fairies poured out of an opening in the far rock face and surrounded him.

"Wow, you did it!" One of them exclaimed.

Zak pointed to the ruins of the temple, "No, not exactly. It still managed to destroy the temple."

Several fairies drifted around where the monster's body had just been. A thick green handle stuck out of the muck. Zak grabbed it and pulled. After struggling with it a little, he unearthed a large two-handed sword covered in mud. He looked at the fairies quizically.

"It's the Great Fairy Sword," the fairy announced, "Perhaps you'll need it for your adventure."

"Fine," he shrugged, taking it, "I'll have to make a sheath for it, though. Mind helping me get back to North Clock Town?"

The fairies swirled around him, which caused him to become encased in the blue crystal once more. Once he landed on his feet, a few of the fairies swirled around him, covering him with their sparkles. He stepped out of the cave to Romani, who had fallen asleep in the grass while waiting for him.

He nudged her awake, "C'mon, let's go."

She stared at him, yawning, "What happened to you? You're covered in mud."

He shrugged, "Don't worry about it. Just a little fairy problem."

She crossed her arms, "You fought a monster without me, didn't you?" He laughed. The two headed towards South Clock Town, Romani pouting the whole way back home to the ranch.


	7. Chapter 7: All Night Mask

Chapter 7: All Night Mask.

Zak sat alone in the Romani Ranch barn, calmly stitching something. The Great Fairy sword, now devoid of swamp mess, was set against the wall sheathed in a crude wooden sheath. He weaved the thread through the fabric in his hands with expert skill. The cows near him mooed as he worked in an attempt to get his attention. Largely he ignored them, but paused every once in a while to check their food and water. After some time had passed, a knock came to the door. Romani peeked in, and Zak hid what he was working on from her.

"Yes?" he asked.

She smiled sleepily, "It's morning, already. Did you sleep well?"

He rubbed his eyes, "I couldn't get any sleep last night, but I should be alright. How did you sleep?"

Romani yawned, "Fine, I guess. If you're having trouble sleeping, do you want to try out my bed for a while? I'll sleep out here."

He shook his head, "Thanks for the offer, but it's not like that. I just have a lot of things on my mind. That's all."

"Oh, okay. Well, the offer still stands," she smiled, "By the way, there's someone here to see you. A young girl and her father, actually. Something about a monster."

Zak stood up and rushed out past Romani. He walked up to the two and shook the man's hand.

"Hey, sorry to bother you at such an early hour," the man said apologetically, "But I heard you're here to handle these weird creatures that have been popping up, lately."

Zak narrowed his eyes, "Can you described the monster in detail?"

The man blinked, "Well, let me think. It's about as tall as a man. It looked like it was made out of some sort of wire or something. It moved like it was a squid or something. Also, it had these huge unblinking eyes."

Zak nodded, "And where was it located?"

"The base of Ikana Canyon, just East of Clock Town. My daughter and I were in the area, collecting samples, and it attacked us. We barely got out of there," he said, shivering at the thought.

Zak disappeared inside of the barn, leaving Romani awkwardly standing next to the two strangers. "Um," she said, trying to break the silence, "We don't really have a lot, but please make yourselves at home. My sister should be making breakfast now, please tell her that you guys can have mine and Zak's share."

Zak emerged, decked out with his shield, sword, spear, and hookshot. Romani ran off to assemble the wagon. Before Cremia could come out to ask, the two were in route to Ikana Canyon. While riding, Zak's head bobbed up and down.

"Please," Romani pleaded, "Try and get some rest in the back, would you? I could probably take you in a fight right now." Without much reason to argue, Zak slipped into the back and laid down to rest.

While he drifted off to sleep, he dreamed of a memory long ago. He stood in front of a man in a deep purple tunic holding a wooden stick. The man charged him, and he retaliated by rolling to the side and slashing up the man's back with his own wooden sword.

"Ah," he winced, "Good job, Zak. You're coming along quite well. You should be proud."

The younger Zak smiled, "Thanks, father. Master Link is an excellent teacher."

His father grinned, "Master, huh? He's not that much older than you, you know. Besides, who do you think taught him those moves?"

Zak shrugged, "I'm not sure. Impa? The Zoras?"

His father laughed, "You're looking at him, kiddo." Zak's mother stuck her head out of the doorway, and beamed at the two of them.

"Daku, Zak, come get your dinner! It's getting cold," She called out.

"Yes, Malon, dear," Daku responded. Zak followed him as he returned to the ranch house of their home, Lon Lon Ranch.

Zak stirred in his sleep. Romani smiled a little, but her smile turned into a look of concern when he started twitching.

A slightly older Zak emerged from the water in Zora's domain, spitting out a mouthful of water. He swam over to the edge and pulled himself out. Several Zora warriors patted him on the back. Others climbed out of the water, holding their bruises while glaring daggers at Zak. He bowed as a form of apology to them, which they largely ignored. A female Zora grabbed Zak by the arm and escorted him up the winding pathway to King Zora XVI. Upon arriving, he bowed in greeting to the large Zora. His daughter bowed next to him.

"Zak," he proclaimed loudly, "I have grave news for you."

A bump woke Zak from his sleep. He looked around to see that they had come to a stop at a huge cliff face. All he could see was a single dead tree sticking out of the ground. He shook of his drowsiness and stepped out of the wagon. Romani hopped out as well.

"Wow," she whistled, "That looks like a long way up. What do you think?"

Zak pulled out his hookshot and fired it. The tip stuck firmly into the tree, "Sorry, Romani. It looks like you might have to sit this one out. Unless you think you can pull yourself up with this hookshot."

She frowned, "Please be careful, okay? If it's too much, we can always come back later."

He retracted the hookshot chain and climbed up the cliff. Once at the top, he pulled himself up and hurried down the path. A few bizarre monsters popped up to check him out, but he managed to easily dodge them. Zak approached the rushing creek at the base of the canyon, and stopped in his tracks. The wiry monster danced to and fro on its two wire-frame legs, stopping after it spotted him. It wasted no time and attacked him. Zak swung at it with his spear, which it grabbed inside its wire body. He kicked at it, and it retaliated by sticking him a few times with its wires. Zak released his spear and backed up. He fired the hookshot at it, which flew straight through its body. The monster advanced, spinning the spear wildly around. Zak pulled out his shield, which sparked as soon as the spear tip smashed into it. The wired monster sliced him up with its appendages by wrapping them around his shield. Zak stumbled back, and it threw his own spear at him. He bashed it away with his shield. His hand instinctively reached up for his sword hilt, but instead he darted off after his spear. The monster pounced at him, which caused him to dodge out of the way.

Instinctively, he rolled around behind it and drew his sword. He spun upwards, slicing up its body with the force of his attack. The monster fell to the ground in a jumbled mess of wires. Swiftly, Zak sheathed his blade and pulled out his blade of grass. He barely managed to play the song. Its wires shrank down until it became a wire-mesh mask with massive eyeballs. He gathered his spear and stabbed it in half, falling to his knees. The white light shimmered as it drifted past him before dissipating. Zak fell to the ground, unconscious.


	8. Chapter 8: Postman's Hat

Chapter 8: Postman's Hat.

Zak opened his eyes slowly. He found himself floated calmly in a body of water. Pain radiated through his entire body. He looked around, finding the water around him soaked with his blood. His previous match with the wire monster came to his mind just as the water picked up speed. He cascaded over a waterfall and landed hard onto some squishy plants. While shaking his head, he glanced around to gain his bearings. He spotted a house of some kind; it looked more like a twisted tea kettle than any house he had ever seen before. Judging form the smell, Zak assumed that he had ended up in the swamp, somehow. He managed to drag himself to his feet, and he hobbled over to one of many giant jugs filled with liquid. Much to his despair, Zak did not find water, but instead some mysterious liquid. Shrugging, he dipped his empty bottle into it and brought it to his nose. He drank the blueish liquid, grimacing at the foul taste.

He felt a little bit of his strength return to his body. An old hag of a woman flew up out of the bizarre house and circled him. "How dare you try and steal from us!" she shrieked, "You will pay for your treachery!" Ignoring her, Zak dipped his bottle into the potion and drank another one. More of his strength returned. She growled at him, "Don't you ignore me, you insolent worm! I'm trying to run a business, here!" He drank a third one before finally looking up at her.

"How about I pay you for these," he said sternly, "How about two-hundred?"

She narrowed her eyes, "Okay, fine. It's a deal. Give me the money and get out of here. You stink of trouble." He dropped four purple rupees on the ground and stomped off without another word. The old hag gathered his money and flew back into her bizarre house.

As Zak walked out towards the swamp's exit, a red blur darted out, followed by a group of monkeys. The red things ran to and fro, desperately trying to escape from the monkey's wrath. They chased it relentlessly, climbing all over the boat house. The owner opened a window, yelling at the monkeys for causing such a ruckus. He looked over at Zak.

"Hey, buddy, mind helping me out? I'll give you something nice in return," he called out. Zak stared at him blankly. The owner tossed him a slingshot and a bag full of something. He caught it awkwardly. "Just chase them off with that, will you?" he asked.

Shrugging, Zak fired a few shots at the monkeys, but missed them by a huge distance. He shot a few more, and the red thing hid between his legs. The monkeys dove at him and tackled him to the ground. The red thing darted off towards the swamp's entrance. The monkeys retreated, afraid of Zak's retaliation.

The shop owner smiled, "Alright, good job, I guess. I'll give you some money, so you can hand that back, if you don't mind."

Zak shook his head, "I think I'll keep this. I know someone who could use it. Thanks, buddy." He ran off after the red thing before the shop owner could object. While running past the grove in which he fought the boar earlier, he quickly realized that he had lost track of the red thing. Sighing, Zak jammed the slingshot into his belt and made his way over to the spring water. He drank a few mouthfuls, relieved. Without a lead, Zak decided to head back towards the ranch. The sun dipped lower in the sky, indicating the evening. With a sigh he headed out to Termina field.

The red thing ran in fright as a blue-headed bird plucked it off of the ground. The bird flew off towards Clock Town. Shrugging, Zak aimed the slingshot and fired. The bird dropped the red thing as the seed hit it in the back of the head. Quickly, Zak headed into Clock Town. He shoved past the guard of the door and ran off to the laundry pool. The red thing bobbed in the water. As he approached, it darted out of the pool and in between his legs. Cursing, Zak ran after it. The stiffness of his injuries kept him from running for long, however, and it ran off into East Clock Town.

Zak snarled in anger and hobbled after it as best he could. While he walked, he reached up to find that his spear was missing. He had to have left it up in Ikana Canyon. There was no telling what could've happened to it. Cursing, he tried to focus on the task at hand. The red thing managed to climb up onto the roof of the inn, and darted underneath a bell just as it spotted Zak. He aimed the slingshot at the large bell and shot at it. After a few tries, he struck the bell. It rang a few times, and the red thing scampered out. It ran off towards the bomber's hideout. Zak trudged after it, but couldn't quite keep up.

Once down in the sewer again, Zak spotted it quite a ways ahead of him, swimming through the water. He slipped in, looking over at the spot where he finished off the large cucco monster before heading through the water in front of him. After making it to the end of the waterway, he climbed out and headed into a large room with a ladder at the end. The red thing scurried up the ladder. He fired a few shots at it, missing every single one. He hurried after it up the ladder until he arrived inside an observatory. Bewildered, Zak charged after the red thing, which managed to slip under the door. He ripped the door open as it popped through the hole in the large fence surrounding the observatory.

"You've got to be kidding me," he cursed, putting the slingshot away. He climbed up the fence, straining with each grasp, until he managed to reach the top. He spotted the red thing hauling off towards Ikana Canyon. With a grunt, he fell from the top of the fence. As he landed, he rolled as best as he could, and hobbled off after it. The red thing bolted as fast as it could towards the cliff face. Zak knew he wouldn't be able to climb that again, not at his current strength. As the red thing scurried up the wall, an arrow stuck into it. It unfolded into a large red hat. Zak sighed and put the grass whistle to his lips. He played the song, and the arrow ripped the hat in two as he played. The shimmering light drifted up in the air before dissipating.

He turned around to see Romani holding her bow in front of her. Tears streamed down his face. Before he could greet her, she grabbed him and hugged him tightly around the waist, burying her face in his chest.

"I was so worried!" she cried, "You've been gone for hours. I thought you died!"

He smiled, placing a hand on her head, "Just stumbled onto another monster, is all. Although, I'm a little banged up, so, if you could stop squeezing me so hard."

She immediately let him go, "Sorry. Let's go home, okay? You look like you could use a break."

He sighed, "I dropped my spear up there. I have to go and get it. Wait here for a minute." He pulled out his hookshot and fred it into the dead tree once more. With great difficulty, he climbed up a few feet before falling back down to the ground. "On second thought, let's go home. I'm sure it'll turn up."

Romani picked him up and pulled the slingshot out of his belt, "Is this for me?"

He nodded, "I'm garbage with it, anyway. It's all yours." After she helped him up into the wagon, Zak promptly fell asleep.


	9. Chapter 9: Blast Mask

Chapter 9: Blast Mask.

Zak reached up with great difficulty. The bandages around his arms prevented him from scratching the part of his chin that itched. He rolled from side to side in the bed in an attempt to gather momentum. Finally, he flopped onto his right side. With his chin, he hurried rubbed up against the slightly scratchy blanket underneath him. He sighed softly in relief. Romani, who had been watching him while holding a small wooden tray with a bottle of milk and a bowl of steaming soup, giggled to herself.

"You're in a sorry state," she said playfully, "Did that monster really bang you up that badly?"

Zak accidentally fell back onto his back, surprised at her arrival, "I'm not going to respond to that question." He frowned stubbornly.

Rolling her eyes, she set the tray down next to the bed and felt his forehead with hers, "It's your own fault, running all over the place with wounds and wet clothes. Now you're sick and injured. You aren't super human, you know."

Zak sighed, "I'm aware of that. Well, I am now, anyway. By the way, I have something for you." He grabbed something he had hidden under the bedside table and handed it to her. Romani couldn't help but smile. "You said you like the cute ears, so I made this for you."

She hugged him, which caused him to cry out, "Oh, Zak! You're so sweet. Thank you so much!" Romani put the rabbit hood on. One of the ears drooped down lower than the other. She smiled, her cheeks a little red. Zak could help but smile back at her.

Cremia knocked softly on the door frame, "How's the sick patient?"

Romani saluted, "His condition has been stabilized, sir. He needs more bed rest and hot soup."

"At ease," Cremia laughed, "Speaking for soup, have you ever heard of Don Corneo?"

Zak nodded, "He's a local composer, known for his work with frogs. What about him?" Romani marveled at Zak's encyclopedic knowledge.

"Well, he's selling a concoction made from frog juices," she glared at their mutual faces of disgust, "Don't give me that look. It works wonders with illness. I use it for Romani all the time. I have to watch the cows in case the Gorman brothers show up before tonight, so will you go get some of Don Corneo's concoction, Romani?"

Her eyes lit up, "My own mission? I won't let you down, sis!"

Cremia rolled her eyes, "Right. Of course. Make sure to bring your bow, just in case." Cremia headed back downstairs. As Romani headed towards the door, Zak grabbed her by the hand.

"If you see one of the monsters out there, be careful," he warned, "They don't die without the song. If you get stuck, leave it be until I'm better."

She smiled, "Thanks for your concern, but I think I can handle this. I'll catch up later."

Romani loaded up her bow and her quiver full of arrows into the wagon. She set her bomb bag, slingshot, and bag of seeds next to the adult sized wallet full of rupees that Cremia had let her borrow. Once she loaded up, Romani headed down Milk Road. The Gorman brothers passed by, watching her intently as she passed by. They searched her wagon with their eyes, but decided to do nothing to her. She breathed a sigh of relief. Something told her that if she had a milk shipment, they might've attacked her.

Romani drove the wagon through the field without incident, much to her disappointment. She secretly hoped to find one of the monsters on the way to Don Corneo's place. She headed towards the mountain, sighing in boredom. Romani crossed in front of the blacksmith shop, smiling as they peered out of their windows at her crossing. As she headed towards the Goron Village, she stopped the wagon at the first wooden bridge. Cautiously she stepped out on it, bouncing slightly up and down. Once she figured it was sturdy, she climbed back into her wagon and headed across. She did the same thing to the following two bridges, and soon found herself at the winding path to Goron Village.

Several Gorons rolled around on the ground, cutting off her path to the village. She decided to dismount and proceed on foot. The Gorons retreated from her, scared of something. As she rounded the corner, Romani spotted a large blue sphere with a large white skull painted on it. It immediately started chasing after her. Her eyes widened, and she pulled out her bow. The Gorons fled in terror, and she realized that if she shot it, it would probably explode. The fuse at the top sparked to life, and it swiftly rolled at her. Thinking quickly, Romani took off running back down the mountain.

She rushed across the bridges, barely a few steps ahead of the bomb. It hopped the bridge and landed in front of her. Romani threw the bow over her shoulder and dove off into the water. When she surfaced, she looked up to see the bomb fling itself off after her. Romani swam as fast as she could manage in the water, just barely avoiding it as it crashed down into the water. She hoped that the fuse would fizzle out. The bomb resurfaced, its surprising buoyancy flinging her into the air. As she fell, Romani noticed that its fuse still sparkled away, much to her disappointment.

She crashed hard into the water, and, using the large pillars as cover, she managed to climb out onto the other side. Romani gasped for air a few times, her body sore. _Man, Zak really makes this look easy,_ she silently admitted to herself. The bomb spotted her and raced across the water as fast as it could go. Narrowing her eyes, she aimed her bow at it again. Some Gorons rolled across the bridges overhead, and she cursed. Romani ran up the steep slope and headed towards the blacksmith's house. The bomb stopped, observing the house. The blacksmiths poked their heads out. Upon seeing the bomb, they immediately closed the door.

Romani tossed a few rocks at the bomb to get its attention. The bomb turned towards her and rolled at her, glowing a menacing red. She hightailed it down the mountain, but the bomb bounced over her head. Luckily, she skidded to a stop and took aim. The bomb flew high overhead, too high to not detonate when it hit the ground. She held her breath and fired a single arrow. The bomb exploded, raining rocks and dust down on her. Romani shielded herself with her arms as best she could. Rocks bashed into her, which sent her to the ground.

One the dust settled, she pushed the pile of rubble off of her and dusted herself off with her bruised arms. The bomb's core landed nearby, black and smoking. It twitched and convulsed violently. She took a deep breath and sang out the notes of Zak's song. The core dissolved away, leaving behind a half-spherical shape. She shot an arrow through it. The shimmering white light drifted up and faded away. Romani turned around and limped back towards Goron Village.

Near the end of the day, Romani pulled the wagon into the barn. Exhausted, she lumbered into the house.

"Oh, goodness," Cremia exclaimed, "What happened to you?"

Romani placed a bottle of greenish liquid on the table, "I really don't want to talk about it." She climbed the stairs and opened her bedroom door. Zak looked at her wearily. Without a word, Romani slipped into bed with him, pushing him to the side with her rump.

"R-Romani, uh," Zak began, "What are you..."

"Shh," she said, exhausted, "I've had a rough day. I don't care if I get sick, I'm going to bed." Zak opened his mouth to argue, but noticed that she had fallen fast asleep. He inspected her arms, but took care not to touch her. Cremia opened the door a crack. She smiled a knowing smile before discreetly closing it.


	10. Chapter 10: Kamaro Mask

A/N: If I were lucky enough to sit by you, I would have talked to you.

Chapter 10: Kamaro Mask.

Romani frowned at Zak, "Please? I really want to help you out. Not just as a person cheering you on from afar, but someone who can fight."

Zak twirled his tempered Deku stick in his hand absentmindedly, "This isn't a game, Romani. These monsters are deadly. You got lucky with the bomb, last time. These creatures are out for blood."

"I don't care," Romani said bravely, "It's not right that you have to clean up our mess all alone. You need help, and I can help you. Please, let me."

Zak curled his upper lip slightly, "I've done nothing but train for years. You're a farm girl who can shoot a bow. You can't expect to fight against these monstrosities."

She crossed her arms defiantly, "Shows what you know. I saved the farm all by myself a few years ago from intruders."

Zak arched an eyebrow, "All by yourself?"

Romani looked away, "Okay, no. I had help. But still, I'm not afraid."

He sighed, "I know you're not. That's the problem. Alright, fine. If you insist on following me around, I might as well show you how to stay alive. Show me what you've got." Zak held his Deku stick up at her.

She stared at him blankly, "You mean fight you? Like, with my bow?"

He nodded, "Trust me, you're not going to hurt me. I was trained by the Gerudo in my homelands. They are the best in the land at archery. They fired at me while riding on horseback. Shoot at me."

Romani swallowed hard before holding up her bow. She aimed and fired quickly. Zak knocked the arrow out of the air effortlessly. She fired a few more times with similar results. He charged forward, smacking her arrows away while gaining on her. Romani panicked and ran away. Zak smashed the ground with the stick and flung a chunk of dirt at her. Romani coughed, the dust cloud blinding her. He tapped her softly on the hand, knocking the bow out of her hand. Romani grabbed an arrow and stabbed at him. Zak dodged back, impressed. She scrambled to grab her bow. Romani squinted while notching an arrow on the string. She fired blindly at Zak's advancing form. Zak caught the arrow seconds before it hit his eye.

"Wow," he whistled, "Alright, I think I can show you a few things. Here." He tossed her his Deku stick. She caught it, surprised at its weight. Zak grabbed another tempered Deku stick from the barn and walked back over into position. "Okay, what I will show you are basic moves. What I think you should focus on is dodging me and creating distance between us. Think you can do that?"

"Yeah, sure thing," she nodded. The two practiced Zak's drills until the sun neared the horizon. She managed to get away with only a few strikes to the head for being out of position. They felt painful when she touched them, but Romani couldn't help but think he was being purposefully gentle when he did hit her. She couldn't be too mad for him taking it easy on a neophyte such as herself. Cremia poked her head out from the door.

"Zak, there's something I need to talk to you about before dinner," she said, worried. He nodded in reply and headed inside, propping his stick on the side of the house. Once inside, he spotted the heavily tattooed Zora sitting at the table. Zak's muscles tensed up.

"Here to get your hookshot back?" Zak asked defensively.

"Not exactly," the young Zora replied, "I'm here to ask you for a favor."

"How much?" Zak asked rudely.

The Zora blinked, "Would you be willing to accept the hookshot you stole from me as payment?"

Zak shook his head, "No, but I would accept a second one if you have it."

The Zora sighed, "I think I can dig one up. I actually stole my old one from the pirates cove. I'll have it delivered here, if that's alright with you."

Zak nodded, "That's acceptable. What's your favor?"

"There has been a strange creature appearing at night on the shores of the Great Bay," the Zora said, "It hasn't come near our domain, but we'd rather not take any chances. The news of your deeds has spread to most of Termina. You are the logical choice. Will you take care of this threat?"

"I will check out your strange creature tonight," Zak replied, "but my payment is not negotiable. If it turns out to be nothing, I still want my hookshot. And if you don't deliver, I'll be coming after you."

"There's no need for threats," the Zora laughed nervously, "You'll get your weapon. I swear it." The Zora departed, glad to get out from under Zak's gaze. Cremia blinked, surprised at Zak's greed.

"Why did you extort him like that?" she asked.

"Because he let me," Zak said sternly, "That, and I need a second hookshot. It's better that I get it sooner than later. Do you mind if I take Romani with me on this mission?"

Cremia blinked, "Zak..."

"She's saved me many times, and I can tell that she's dying to help out," Zak explained, "You don't owe me anything. I'm just asking on her behalf."

Cremia bit her lip, "N-no. Romani's still too young."

That night, Zak loaded his spear, shield, sword, and hookshot into the wagon. With a smile, he pushed his weapons to the side before climbing up front. He cracked the reins and the horse headed out down Milk Road. "Does it bother you that you have to keep lying to your sister like that?" he asked out loud.

"Not really," Romani replied, pushing the brown blanket off of her before joining Zak up front. Her bow, quiver, slingshot, and bomb bag remained under the blanket. "If you weren't allowed to go out on adventures, you'd understand."

He smirked, "I think you've got me all wrong. I'd rather have stayed home and tended to the cows all day."

She put her hands behind her head, "You really are missing out, you know. Spending all day squatting over a pair of udders, squirting out milk, feeding cows heavy bails of hay, tossing bird seed to the cuccos and hoping they won't peck your legs too badly, being sent off to town every time you need something, midnight milk deliveries to the Milk Bar... It's really something."

Zak laughed, "Don't make it sound too exciting. Soon, I'll be the one doing the chores while you're off fighting monsters."

"I don't know about that," she looked at him with her left eye, her right eye closed, "I think you enjoy what you're doing. You were born to do this, at least that's what I think."

Zak guided the horse towards the Great Bay. Romani shuffled about uncomfortably in her seat. He watched her for a time, trying to gather what was bothering her. "Is there something you want to tell me?" he asked. The wagon bucked when the wheels hit the soft beach sand.

She swallowed hard, "Um, if it's alright, can I take on this one alone? I'd like to try to take one down."

He arched an eyebrow, "This isn't a game, you know. What are you trying to prove, exactly?"

Romani crossed her arms, "I can be just as good at this as you, you know. Just give me a chance. Please?"

He turned forward and stared out at the beach. A pale blue-skinned monster lumbered along the water's edge in the distance. "Fine," he replied after a few moments of silence, "But only because I need your help. Try not to get yourself killed."

As Zak pulled the wagon to a stop, the monster took notice of them. It stood up on its stubby legs, and four arms stretched high above its head. Romani sprang up out of the wagon, bow over her shoulder and slingshot in hand. The monster twirled around, its spinning picking up clouds of dust. Zak slipped his breathing apparatus over his face, but otherwise remained still. Romani fired a few shots at the blue-skinned monster. It danced over towards her, surprisingly graceful. She fired against, and the monster expertly dodged her attacks. It spun wildly around her, its hands slapping the feet out from underneath her. She rolled sideways, narrowly avoiding the monster's slapping hand colliding with the sand where she was just moments before. Romani stood to her feet, dizzy. The monster jumped high up into the air and crashed down into the beach. A huge pillar of sand shot up, blinding Romani. She called out as the monster slapped her between two of its hands. It picked her up off of the ground and pitched her high into the air. A huge gaping mouth split open on its chubby body, large enough to eat her in one bite. Zak stood up, ready to jump in. Romani shook the sand out of her eyes, grabbed her bow while flying through the air, and fired two arrows.

She fell into the water with a heavy crash. Zak called out her name, and the monster turned on him. He narrowed his eyes at it as it danced towards him. It fell over onto its side, convulsing in pain. Zak saw the arrows stuck into its eye and leg. Romani popped out of the water and took aim with her bow. She fired a barrage of shots through the monster's hands. It turned around and bellowed at her. As it got up to try and run off, Romani fired a final arrow into its head.

The monster fell to the sand, motionless. Romani spit out a mouthful of salt water as she walked up the beach. She sang Zak's song as best as she could with her pained, shaky voice. The monster's body dissolved until all that remained was a mask with a small blue head mounted on top of it. She limped over to one of her arrows stuck into the ground, pulled it out, and stabbed it through the mask. It split in half, a glowing white light drifting up skyward before fading away. Romani collapsed. Zak rushed over to her side.


	11. Chapter 11: Kafei's Mask

Chapter 11: Kafei's Mask.

Romani fired her bow at the half a dozen balloon targets. She wiped the sweat from her brow. Her sister, Cremia, watched her from the window while wearing a worried expression. She continued washing the dishes while Romani practiced. Romani pulled out her slingshot and fired several seed straight up. While they descended, she pulled out her bow and fired an arrow at each one of the seeds. With each seed she hit, a small explosion of the seed's guts followed. Her arrows stuck against the small stable next to the house. Cursing, Romani rushed over and quickly pulled the arrows out of the wood post.

"Please be careful," Cremia called out from the open window.

"Sorry," Romani called back, "Hey sis, when is Zak coming back?"

She stepped outside to hear better, "He said he wouldn't be back until tonight. Something about waiting for the blacksmiths to finish a new sword, I guess. Did he mention anything to you about that?"

Romani shrugged, "I haven't heard a thing. Hey, is it alright if I go up to Clock Town today? I have to grab some more supplies."

"You are running low on arrows," Cremia chuckled, "Yeah, go ahead. As long as your chores are done, I don't mind, but do me a favor and walk today. Our poor horse needs a break."

Nodding, Romani threw her bow over her shoulder and pocketed the slingshot on her belt. She tugged at her bunny hood to make sure it was still in place before heading out. The trip through Milk Road was uneventful as usual, but that didn't bother her. Truthfully, she was getting a little burnt out on all of the excitement ever since Zak had arrived. It was nice to have a day off, for once. She playfully jingled her bag of bullet seeds as she walked, enjoying the sound. If she shook it the right way, it kind of sounded like the song that Zak played on his blade of grass.

Once she arrived in Termina field, her good mood quickly dissipated. The city was surrounded by guards, all of which were being viciously attack by a large humanoid monstrosity. It threw the guards back with each attack of its dozens of appendages. They managed to keep it from getting into the city. It turned and spotted Romani. She stared deep into its soulless black eyes.

"An..ju," it wheezed. Before Romani could react, it was upon her. It grabbed at her, recoiling when she stuck an arrow into one of its hands. She leaped backwards, but one of its arms snatched her by the ankle. It lifted her up by her foot and sniffed her. Her slingshot and bow clattered down onto the ground. The monster discarded her, flinging her into a hollowed out log. Romani curled up into a ball as she flew through the air, and crashed through the wooden log. As she managed to stand back up to her feet, the monster roared at the charging guards. They stabbed at it, but it shrank down to the size of a child, causing them to miss. It struck each guard several times with its tiny fists, knocking them unconscious.

Thinking quickly, Romani darted towards her weapons. The monster rushed over to her and grabbed her again. She struggled against its grip, but it held her with two of its arms with ease. The other seven appendages struck her multiple times in rapid succession. Romani called out in pain as it struck her again and again. An arrow stuck into the side of its neck. The monster dropped her and turned around. A purple-haired man pulled back on the bowstring and fired at it again. The monster advanced at him. Romani picked herself up off of the ground, but was in too much pain to stand. She slowly crawled towards the pile of unconscious guards.

The monster grabbed the purple-haired man around the throat and pinned him against Clock Town's outer wall. A large broom smacked it across the face, which distracted it long enough for the purple-haired man to squirm out of its grip. The man stood between the monster and a red-haired woman holding a broom. As the monster charged, the purple-haired man fired several arrows into its midsection. It stumbled back, its arms shooting around like crazy. The man blocked the woman from harm with his body, and took several shots to the back as a result. He collapsed in a heap. She called out in surprise. The monster approached her. Much to her surprise, it caressed her cheek with one of its hands.

"Anju," it wheezed out. She stumbled back, but it was much quicker. It grabbed her and ran off. Romani picked herself up off of the ground with the help of the guard's spear just in time to watch it sprint off with the screaming woman in its clutches. She limped over to the purple-haired man. She found him unconscious, but still alive. She narrowed her eyes and hobbled around Clock Town just in time to see it heading for Ikana Canyon. Romani moved to follow, but her legs gave out from underneath her. She cried out in frustration.

The monster hauled Anju up the canyon wall with ease, avoiding the explosive monsters as it headed through to a secret hideout. Anju gasped when it stopped in front of a hollowed out hole. On a boulder next to the entrance stood a tall muscular man in a purple tunic with a huge sword over his shoulder. He looked at the monster with his pure white eyes.

"What a sorry creature," he said with disappointment, "It retained some of its human counterpart's memories, but only of the events of that day, so many years ago." Anju stared at the man, terrified, but he didn't seem to notice that she existed. He brandished his large sword at it, "Monster, I will end your suffering." It dropped Anju and charged at the man. He dodged each one of its nine appendages with ease, and then rolled around to its back. He sprang up, twirling around with his blade in a corkscrew motion. The monster split apart into ribbons. The man pulled out a tan instrument and put it to his lips. He played a beautiful melody, the likes of which calmed Anju down. The monster's body disintegrated into nothing but a human mask with purple hair. Before she could react, the man fired a well-aimed arrow through it. A shimmering white light floated up and towards the man, who breathed it in. Without a word, he jumped into the rushing water behind him, leaving Anju alone but unharmed.


	12. Chapter 12: Circus Leader's Mask

Chapter 12: Circus Leader's Mask.

Romani found herself being shaken awake. One of the guards of Clock Town loomed over her, checking her for injuries.

"She's awake," he called out to the other guards nearby. They hurried over and helped her up into a sitting position.

"What...happened?" Romani asked, dazed.

"There was a monster attack," the guard explained, "Thanks to you and Kafei, you guys managed to chase it off. Thankfully, no one was hurt here, but the innkeeper was carried off."

Romani hurriedly stood up, "We have to help her!" The guards grabbed her to keep her from falling over. Two horses galloped from the direction of Milk Road. Romani, even in her dazed state, recognized the riders as the Gorman brothers. They came to a stop in front of the guards.

"Help us!" they pleaded in unison, "Our track is under attack by some ferocious monster!"

The guards stood up and helped the Gorman brothers off of their horses. As they hammered out the specifics, Romani gathered her weapons and saddled one of their horses stealthily. She managed to gallop away before anyone stopped her. The guards called out at her, telling her that she was in no condition to ride, but she ignored them as she headed down Milk Road. She took a hard left towards the Gorman track, and the horse instinctively jumped the gate they put up to detain the monster.

Zak opened the door to the Mountain Smithy. Zubora smiled and welcomed inside. "Ah, yes, the young Ranch Warrior. You have impeccable timing, you know."

"Thanks," Zak replied, "But the work order you gave me was incredibly specific. I hope you're actually on time with my weapon."

Zubora sipped on his cup of tea, "My boy, our word is oak. Isn't that right, Gabora?" His larger partner roared in response. Zubora handed Zak a sheathed sword. "I'm surprised you managed to get gold dust during this time of year. You must tell me your secret."

Zak shook his head, "I have my ways. Will this sword break?"

"Of course not," Zubora waved his hand, "Thanks to that gold dust you supplied, it won't. By the way, why did you want an entirely new sword? It would've been cheaper if you'd let me enhance your toothpick."

Zak smiled, "Nobody else can touch my Giant's Toothpick. Trust me, it's masterfully crafted." He took the Guilded Sword from Zubora and exited the Smithy after saying his farewells to the two blacksmiths. The minute he strapped his new sword on his back next to his Giant's Toothpick, he felt the distinct impression of eyes upon him. He walked down the mountain cautiously, watching his surroundings. As he entered into Termina Field, he spotted a familiar figure standing in his way. Zak instinctively grabbed his sword. "You," he snarled.

Romani galloped along the Gorman track, squinting at the fast-moving figure in the distance. It called out in a familiar cry as soon as it noticed her gaining on it. Arrows fired out at her in huge waves. Romani dodged left, her horse turning left with her. A tree loomed in front of them. Panicked, she steered right, narrowly avoiding colliding with it. She called out in pain as the bark scraped her across the back. Her horse galloped towards the fleeing monster. It turned to watch her, tears streaming from its beady black eyes. With another yell, it pulled out a massive cleaver and swiped at her.

Zak fell back, barely able to keep a hold onto his spear. The man stepped forwards, sword at the ready. Zak rolled to the side of him, and received a swift kick to the ribs, which sent him airborne. The man laughed, jumping high into the air before crashing down on Zak. Zak pulled out his sword just in time to block him. The man responded with a few lateral slices, forcing Zak to jump backwards.

"Why are you doing this?" Zak demanded, "This person you've become, it's not you."

"Maybe you're not so observant," he said while taking aim with his bow. He fired several well-aimed shots, which Zak narrowly deflected with his shield. Zak jumped at him, bringing his sword down at his head. The man tilted his head slightly, forcing Zak to miss completely. Zak landed on his feet behind the man and immediately rolled forward, dodging another horizontal slice. The man spun his sword in his hand absentmindedly. "I'm impressed, my boy. You being able to dodge me so many times. I'd almost be proud of you."

Zak dropped his shield and unsheathed his new gilded sword, "See, the thing is..." He leaped again, slashing wildly. The man backflipped, taking a few slices up his back. He held his sword out to his side as Zak advanced. Zak ducked below the man's spinning attack, rolled, and sprang up in a corkscrewing fashion, slicing at the man. The man's sword collided with Zak's weapon, which sent Zak flying through the air. Zak tumbled end over end as he fell down the grassy hill. He looked up to find that the man in the purple tunic had vanished. "Damn it!" he cursed, punching the ground in frustration.

Romani weaved in and out of the trees, unable to get a clear shot. The crying monster swung its cleaving around wildly, spooking the horse it was riding upon. The horse stopped and bucked around. Romani slowed to a stop and aimed her bow carefully. With one shot, she took the monster off of the horse's back. It flopped around on the ground, water pouring out of its eyes. She sang Zak's song to it, and its body deteriorated into a mask that resembled one of the Gorman brothers. She fired a few arrows at the mask before she managed to hit it. The mask split open, and a white light drifted up out of it before dissipating. Exhausted, she rode back towards the Gorman's stable. She led the horse inside and limped away, ignoring the Gormans shouting obscenities at her for stealing their horse. Romani headed back into the ranch, where she was greeted with her worried sister's arms grabbing her tightly.

"Oh my God, Romani," she exclaimed, both of her hands grasped onto her cheeks, "You look awful. I heard that the Gorman brothers were attacked by some strange creature. Was Zak there, did he help you?"

She shook her head, "No, Cremia. Actually, I handled it all on my own."

Cremia hugged her tightly, "I'm just glad you're alright. Come inside, please."


	13. Chapter 13: Stone Mask

Chapter 13: Stone Mask.

Zak walked through Termina field, his hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. His interaction with the purple tunic wearing man haunted his thoughts. All he could think about was the man's cold, white, lifeless eyes staring at him. He definitely was the man Zak thought he was, but somehow different. Zak scratched the side of his head. It didn't make any sense. _Why would he be here?_ he thought to himself.

Zak's foot caught something, and he tripped. He looked around, bewildered, but saw nothing. While staying completely still, Zak heard the faint sound of a rolling object. He sprang up and pulled out his spear. An invisible force smashed into him, flinging him high into the air. Zak readied his body for impact with the ground, rolling forwards as he landed. Another invisible force rushed past, this time smacking his legs from behind him. Zak fell flat on his back, the wind knocked out of him. The rolling sound faded, heading towards the swamp. He scrambled up to his feet, grabbed his spear, and chased after it.

Romani sat up in her bed, coughing. Zak still hadn't returned, and she was starting to get worried. She managed to stand up to her feet, with great difficulty. Romani limped down the stairs and into the living area of the ranch house. She grabbed a small note sitting under a wooden bowl. Cremia had gone into town to buy some medicine. She sighed. Great. She was home alone. Romani hobbled over to the door and pulled it open. After surveying the open fields of Romani Ranch, she closed the door. She hobbled towards the stairs, but stopped short when someone knocked on the door. She turned and looked at it, bewildered.

Zak narrowed his eyes while he approached the swamp guide's hut. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but that didn't mean much. The rolling sound was absent, replaced by the sounds of rushing water. While slipping into the swamp, he trudged in the waist-deep water until he arrived near the Potion Hag shop entrance. He gripped his spear tightly as a trail of water separated, indicating something advancing on him. Zak slammed into the stone wall, hard. Water splashed up, covering both him and the invisible assailant. For a split second, Zak caught a glimpse of it before he was plunged deep into the water. It held him under until he stopped twitching. As it rolled away, Zak resurfaced. He pulled his mask off of his face and spat out a mouthful of swamp water. Pulling himself out of the swampy murk, Zak ringed the water out of his tunic and fished his spear out of the mud. He spotted moving, the sensation of eyes on him overwhelming him. The water trailed around again, announcing his visitor.

Romani yanked the door open. Empty.

"Are you kidding me!?" she called out, annoyed, "I am in no mood for this, whoever you are." As she moved to slam the door, she spotted a figure standing in the field. The man had on a purple tunic and a huge sword strapped onto his back. She gasped and frantically grabbed her bow. The man smiled a wide grin, almost predicting her movements. She took aim and fired. Her arrow flew with incredible accuracy, and the man stepped lazily to the side, the arrow flying by him. She notched another arrow along her bow string. "Who goes there?" she demanded, taking aim.

He caught her second shot arrow in between his forefingers, "My name is a secret to everybody. You must be Romani, namesake of this ranch, yes?"

She narrowed her eyes, "What's it to you, stranger?"

The stranger nodded, "I thought you might be her. You really are the striking image of her, aren't you? No wonder he's so interested." He snapped the arrow with a quick flick of his wrist. Romani stared him down, unsure of what he intended to do. Deciding to take no chances, she drew back another arrow. He laughed, "You'll waste all of your arrows by doing that, you know. I'm looking for Zakku, today. Have you seen him?"

"Like hell I'd tell you," she snarled. The man batted her third arrow away with his silvery gauntlet. His eyebrow arched impatiently. Romani felt a deep sense of dread growing in her stomach. She knew she was in no condition to fight this strange man.

He cracked his knuckles, his gauntlets shining in the sunlight, "Listen, if you don't tell me where he is, then things will get messy. I'd rather not do anything to you, young lady, but I will if I have to."

Romani swallowed hard, "L-last I knew, he was headed to the Mountain Smithy. He's not returned since then. What's your relationship with Zak?"

He lowered his hands, "Wait, you don't know? How interesting. I wonder what else he hasn't told you. Did he mention why he was actually here?"

"He's here to kill the monsters..." she replied weakly, unsure.

The stranger cackled, "Oh, sweetie. That's not technically untrue, but there's another reason he's here. Don't you find it odd that, even with all of these ungodly monsters running around, the Guardians haven't appeared to destroy them? You know, like when they showed up during the Carnival of Time to stop your moon so long ago."

She stared blankly at him, "Well, it's not like Termina is overrun with these monsters. Zak can handle it."

The stranger shook his head, "I'm glad you have faith. Tell you what, next time you see him, tell him I'm looking for him. If he continues avoiding me, he puts these townsfolk in danger. Will you pass that message on for me?" She nodded feebly. Once he got confirmation, the man whistled a bizarre tune. White wings flew out of his back, wrapped around him, and he disappeared in a flash of white and feathers. Romani collapsed onto the floor, gasping from sheer terror.

Zak flew through the air once more, landing in the water near the tour boat. He cursed out loud, his frustration getting the better of him. The water trailed towards him, and he dove under the boat. Zak pulled out a pair of silvery objects and hurriedly slipped them on. The water splashed and thrashed around near where he landed. He resurfaced quietly on the other side of the boat. With his feet firmly planted, he grabbed the bottom of the boat and lifted it out of the water. The thrashing continued, until Zak launched the boat at the invisible monster. It crashed into the water, and Zak climbed up the swamp house until he reached the straw roof.

Several large clumps of mud flew at him, and Zak narrowly dodged them. He stared at the water, following the trails left in the monster's wake. While pulling his mask over his face, he leaped high into the air, brandishing his spear at the monster. Zak collided hard into what felt like solid rock, but he managed to hold on, thanks to his spear sinking into it. An unearthly roar echoed out, and he flung back and forth as the monster tried to shake him loose. Zak punched at the invisible rock under his spear with one hand while he held onto his spear with the other. He felt the invisible rock give way, and his hand plunged into the hole he had made. Zak quickly pulled his arm out. The monster continued shaking violently, and he grabbed the invisible hole with his hands. He whistled his song into the hole as loudly as he could. The monster swayed to and fro before collapsing into the swamp water. The water thrashed until all that remained was a floating mask of stone with a crude face. Zak stabbed his spear through it, splitting the mask in two. A white sphere of light drifted up before fading away.

He sheathed his spear, took off his silver gauntlets, and headed out of the swamp towards Milk Road, covered head to toe in swamp gunk. "Why do I always get covered in sludge when I'm here?" Zak wondered aloud, chuckling to himself.


	14. Chapter 14: Garo's Mask

Chapter 14: Garo's Mask.

Zak sat motionless with his elbows on the table and his hands over steepled in front of his mouth while Romani relayed the message of the purple tunic wearing man to him. She studied his expressionless face for any sort of clue as to the man's true identity. His blank eyes gave nothing away.

"See," he replied, "This news was worth waiting until you were properly healed. You're so impatient sometimes, Romani."

She sighed, "It's been a week, and I've been dying to tell you that. So who's that guy, anyway?"

"He's someone I am acquainted with, that's all," Zak replied coldly.

Romani pursed her lips, "You're so secretive about your past. Would it really kill you to talk about where you came from?" Zak slammed his hand onto the tabletop, frightening Romani. He stormed out of the ranch house without another word. She trembled, despite the temperature of the room. After a few moments, she peeked out to make sure he was still there. Zak somehow ascended to the barn's roof, staring eastward. A shadow fell across the ranch, stretching over the barn. Romani looked out of the window towards the sky. No clouds were in the sky. He continued to stare towards the source of the shadow. Instinctively, she grabbed her weapons, but she didn't leave the house.

Zak jumped down from the barn and slipped inside. A while later he emerged with his spear, Deku stick, both swords, shield, and hookshot all equipped. He whistled loudly, and a horse galloped through the ranch, coming to a stop next to him. Romani's eyes widened. The horse was jet black with white patches, and had a saddle over a blanket covered with images of crying eyes. He threw his leg over it and galloped away. Romani waited until he was gone before stepping out of the ranch house. As she headed to the barn, an ear-splitting whistling noise tore through the air, causing her to fall to her knees in pain. Cremia, who had been milking one of the cows in the field, fell down in agony as well.

"What's going on?!" Romani shouted, her voice drowned out by the loud whistle. Cremia retreated into the house, and she headed into the barn.

Zak rode as fast as he could, the loud whistle forcing him to grit his teeth. He squinted against the sheer volume of it, suppressing the urge to vomit as he headed towards Ikana Canyon. The whistle grew louder as he rode the horse to the canyon wall. He hopped down, and the horse departed on its own accord. Zak aimed his hookshot up at the dead tree and made his way up the wall.

After a while of walking, the whistle vibrating in his skull, Zak found himself at the small river rushing past below him. He held up his hookshot and fired it up at the tree. Once he tugged it a few times to make sure it was secure, he scaled the rockface leading to the top. Once on the top, Zak shielded his ears. The whistle was deafening. He ran towards the Castle of Ikana and managed to barely slip inside the blown-out hole in the side of the wall before vomiting onto the ground. Zak wiped his mouth and headed further inside.

The courtyard was completely empty. Unsurprised, Zak headed into the main door of the castle, unimpeded, until he reached the throne room. Once his foot crossed the threshold of the throne room, the whistle stopped.

"Zak," a familiar voice called out, "It was foolish of you to come alone."

"Shut up!" Zak snarled, "Don't take that tone with me." Once his eyes adjusted, he spotted the man in the purple tunic along with a figure in a brown cloak. It stood up, shaking the dust off of its cloak when Zak approached it. Even in the dim light, Zak could tell what the creature was.

"I see you're finally in the castle," Zak said to it, "Is it everything you hoped it would be?" A blade slid out from under its brown cloak.

The man smiled, "That's a good point. I'm surprised you remembered that little detail. Clearly, he chose the right man for this job."

Zak unsheathed his gilded sword and pointed it at the man, "Don't you dare speak of his name. You aren't worthy anymore."

His expression softened, "Fine. Consider it a last request."

Zak arched an eyebrow, "This creature can't beat me."

The stranger shrugged, "Maybe, maybe not. However, I never said it was alone." Another sword slid out of its cloak. Zak narrowed his eyes and looked around the room. He finally looked down at the floor. His own reflection stared back at him. He blinked. The reflection disappeared.

"Oh, great," Zak gripped his Giant's Toothpick with his other hand. The cloaked monster rushed him, its blades narrowly missing him. Zak jumped back, sliding unexpectedly across the slick floor. The cloaked monster sprang at him, and Zak unsheathed his sword. Their blades connected. Zak slid across the floor due to the cloaked monster's strength. It slashed at him with surprising speed. Zak tried in vain to continuously block its attacks. Several superficial wounds opened up on his torso. Zak swiped at it a few times, forcing it back. He held his gilded sword out to his side and swung it in a mighty circle. Before it hit the cloaked monster, a shield blocked his attack.

Zak's reflection shoved him back. Zak twirled the gilded sword in his hand. He looked between the cloaked monster and his reflection, studying them. He sheathed his Toothpick and popped the shield off of his back, catching it with his foot. The cloaked monster backflipped, rushing at him with a bizarre charge. Zak tossed the shield into the air with his foot, charged up his sword for a split second, and spun it around with a powerful stroke once more. The blade smashed into the shield, which sent it flying at his reflection. His reflection deflected the shield, which flung it into the back of the cloaked monster well before it hit him.

The man smiled wide, "Now that's what I'm talking about." Stunned, the cloaked monster dropped its swords to its sides. Zak jumped over it, performed a front flip, and landed behind it. The cloaked monster fell forward, its head split cleanly in two. A white light drifted up before fading away. His reflection put away its shield and pulled out a spear identical to his Zora spear. Shrugging, Zak kicked the edge of his shield, which flung it up into his hand. He sheathed it and his gilded sword and pulled out his spear.

"Wait," the man called out from his position near the throne room, "There's someone else here. Why, Zak, I underestimated you." Another reflection materialized next to Zak's. A girl holding a bow. Zak turned around to see Romani standing in the throne room.

"Son of a-"


	15. Chapter 15: Mask of Truth

Chapter 15: Mask of Truth.

Zak stared at Romani for a moment, at a loss for words. Quickly, he turned around as the dark Romani aimed its bow and fired an arrow at her. Romani recoiled, calling out in pain. The purple tunic man laughed, the tip of his finger tapping against the throne chair. Romani regained her bearings, blood trickling down from her cheek.

"Zak, what's going on?" she asked, staring her shadowy form down intently.

"You shouldn't be here," he said through gritted teeth. The purple tunic man raised an eyebrow. The man approached them, his foot stepping down onto the shining floor beneath them. A shadow version of him appeared near the others.

"Zak," he said calmly, "You shouldn't be so rude. Aren't you going to introduce me?"

"No," Zak said. Electricity shot through his body. Romani called out in surprise.

He laughed, "You're in the realm of the Mask of Truth. Telling lies gets you punished. He trained you better than this, Zak."

Zak narrowed his eyes, "Leave him out of this. Romani, this man, he's..." Another electric shock tore through him, forcing him to his knees. His shadow form approached slowly. Romani fired an arrow at it, which it blocked with ease. She stood between it and Zak. Her shadow form fired an arrow. Romani ducked, realizing that it was headed for another target. Zak roared out in pain as the arrow stuck into his forearm.

The purple tunic man stretched his arms, revealing silver-plated gauntlets, "I grow tired of your weakness, Zak. Tell her who I am."

Cursing, Zak finally relented, "Romani, he's my biological father. His name is Dakumani. He went by Daku when I knew him."

She stared at Zak blankly, "I don't understand. Why are you fighting with him? Shouldn't you be on the same side?"

Romani's shadow fired another arrow. Zak leaped up and sliced it in two with his sword. Daku's shadow pounced, and the two locked blades briefly before Zak was shoved back. Zak's shadow advanced, slicing at Romani. She narrowly dodged his attack. Both Zak and Romani found themselves cornered. The shadows advanced.

"It's more complicated than that," Zak said. Another surge of electricity brought him to a knee. Daku stared at them with his blank white eyes, a smile dancing across his face.

"Tell her, Zak. You have a mission here, don't you?" he said sternly, "Tell her what you have to do."

Zak glared daggers at Daku before speaking, "Romani, I have been trained by an elite group of warriors from every corner of Hyrule. My mission here is to purge the evil masks that my master left behind in his youth." He and his shadow exchanged a flurry of blows. Romani chased the shadow back with a few well-placed arrows. Once she managed to get a clean him, his shadow fell through the mirrored floor. Her own shadow fired a few arrows at her, and Zak barely managed to knock them away with his sword. Daku's shadow held its monstrous sword behind him, preparing some form of attack.

Romani swallowed hard, "What happens if you fail?"

Zak narrowed his eyes, most of his attention focused on the shadow, "Once I tell you this, you'll never trust me again." No electricity shot through him, which made Romani even more worried. Daku's shadow held its sword next to its head and crouched down low, readying itself to pounce at any moment. Zak dropped his gilded sword onto the mirrored floor.

"Tell me," she whispered, her heart full of dread.

"If I fail," he grumbled forcefully, "I have to destroy this world. These evil masks are too powerful." Romani dropped her bow in surprise. Her shadow fired a volley of arrows, and a glowing green wind blew from around Zak, forcing them off course. Daku's shadow leaped up high in the air, swinging its sword down mightily at them. Zak shoved Romani hard and rolled out of its way, and then spun up, slashing the shadow's back in a corkscrew fashion. After Daku's shadow fell through the mirrored floor, Romani's shadow shot two arrows into Zak's chest. He fell flat onto his back, shock on his face. Romani pulled out her slingshot and nailed her shadow right in between the eyes, knocking it through the floor.

Zak coughed, yanking the arrows out of himself one by one. Luckily, they hadn't pierced much further than the tip when they hit. He discarded the shadowy arrows and stared at Daku. "Tell me why," he demanded, "Why are you here? What are you planning?"

Daku arched an eyebrow, "Oh, right. You think the power of the mask is going to work on me. That's ador-" He fell to his knees and clutched the sides of his face. Daku let out a blood curling scream, scaring Romani half to death. She scrambled over, grabbed her bow, and aimed at him. Zak jumped up and stood between her and Daku.

"Stop!" he called out. She reached up and slapped him hard across the face, hurt.

"Why? I should kill you where you stand," she instead aimed at Zak, "It would save my home from you! I can't believe you, Zak. I trusted you, let you live in my house, and you were planning on killing everyone I've ever known this whole time?"

Zak gripped his Giant's Toothpick firmly in his hand, "No one's going to stop me from saving Termina, Romani. Not even you." The magical green wind erupted out of Zak again, this time it blew Romani out of the throne room. Once the doors closed, he turned his attention to his shrieking father. Zak advanced cautiously, and the room filled up with hundreds of Daku's shadows. He jumped to the side, grabbing his gilded sword while sliding across the mirrored floor on the shield on his back. Dozens of swords slashed down at the ground where he had been moments before.

A blinding white light shined underneath Daku's feet. _"Impressive, farm boy. This one has more will than I expected. No matter. His is mine to control. Finish this."_ His father faded away with the echoing voice. Zak stared down the hundreds of clones nervously. He looked at their faces, and then had an idea. Zak sheathed his gilded sword and pulled out a blade of grass. He played a special song, one that he hadn't before. From the other side of the door, Romani's eyes widened. She had heard the song before. Her mind filled with images of a red-haired pony galloping across Romani Ranch with a boy in a green tunic on top...

The shadows swung their swords wildly, all collapsing into the mirrored floor at the same time. The floor cracked, and then exploded into countless shards. Zak played his song, and the fragments dissipated, leaving behind a white mask covered in red markings and an ominous eye. With a deft throw, Zak embedded his spear through it. A soft white light drifted up out of it before fading away. He retrieved his spear, opened the door, and was immediately punched off of his feet. Romani lowered her fist, tears in her eyes. She ran off, ignoring his repeated cries.


	16. Chapter 16: Don Gero's Mask

Chapter 16: Don Gero's Mask.

Zak stood up and sheathed his weapons, his eyes on the castle's entrance. As he stared, a small frog hopped into the room. His eyes widened. Romani would have to wait until later. Zak ran out of the castle, spotting a few frogs between him and the cliffside. Without hesitating, he leaped off of the side, plummeting to the river below. Moments later, he pulled himself out of the water and took off running towards Termina field. Dodging the explosive monsters, he tumbled down the hill and sprang back up to his feet. Romani was nowhere to be found, but Zak couldn't worry about her yet.

As he stepped foot into Termina field, he stopped short. Hundreds of frogs hopped along the ground, ribbiting incessantly at him. The biggest concentration seemed to come from the entrance to the mountains of Snowhead, which surprised Zak little. He ran off towards the north entrance, slightly impeded by the mountains of frogs in his way. He trudged through them, the sheer mass of them as high as his waist, until he arrived at the Mountain Village. The path to the west spewed out countless frogs. Zak headed for Snowhead. Several Gorons stood in front of him, their arms outstretched to keep him from going any further.

"Oi!" the big one remarked, "You're not going anywhere, stranger. This place is off-limits to your kind."

Zak gripped his sword, "Get out of my way. Now."

The Goron narrowed his eyes, "Oh, so it's a fight you want, eh? Alright, fine. Maybe a good licking will teach you to respect your betters." He held up his fists. Without hesitation, Zak withdrew his Giant's Toothpick and pointed it at the Goron. The Goron charged, punching wildly at him. He jumped backwards, narrowly avoiding the strike. The Goron advanced, and Zak tumbled across the ground in order to get behind him. He jumped up and slashed the Goron up the back, sparks flying through the air. The Goron fell flat on his face, wounded. The other two Gorons rushed him, crying out in rage. Zak spun his sword in a circle around him, the sheer force of his attack flinging them off of the cliff side. He sheathed his weapon and looked towards the Snowhead Temple.

"You'll...never...get...there..." the Goron said weakly. Narrowing his eyes, Zak removed his shield from his shoulder and gripped it with his hand. After backing up, he ran towards the gap in front of him at top speed. At the last second, he jumped up, dropped his shield at his feet, and slid across the ground using it like a surfing board. Once he hit the wooden ramp, he soared high over the gap and landed on the other side. His momentum allowed him to continue towards the Temple, occasionally using the blunt end of his spear to pick up speed. Soon, he found himself facing the treacherous winding path of the Temple. Zak took off his shield and strapped it to his back. As he walked, a figure wearing green robes jumped down from the Temple's entrance to meet him.

"I knew it was you," Zak growled, "Gero-sama." The bipedal monster said nothing, its amphibious hands gripping a sheathed sword. The frogs around it hopped and ribbited happily. Zak stared down his opponent, and the frog monster met his gaze, its jowls working in determination. The green straw in its mouth twitched to and fro as it considered Zak's moves. Zak gripped his sword's hilt, but did not draw it. The monster charged forward with a mighty yell, its sword flying out of its sheath with incredible speed. Zak dodged backwards, unable to avoid getting slashed several times by the monster's initial assault. He pulled out his hookshot and fired at the frog monster. It dodged the hook and chain effortlessly, but didn't slash it away, much to Zak's dismay. Zak put away the hookshot and reached for his sword, but hesitated. The frog monster slashed him deeply across the arm.

Zak smashed into the frog monster's sword with his spear. Their weapons exchanged blows, each creaking under the pressure of the other. Zak tried his best to get around the frog monster's sword, but couldn't find an opening. His own blood spilled out onto the ground. The spear felt heavy in his hands. The frog monster jumped back, sheathed its sword, and ran at Zak. Zak sheathed his spear and grabbed at the hilt of his sword. The frog monster withdrew its sword, aiming to take Zak out in one deft stroke. Zak unexpectedly rotating in place, his movement allowing him to duck the sword slash aimed for his throat. While rotating, Zak pulled out his sword and struck the frog monster's body in an amazingly powerful strike.

The frog-like mask covered in dark green spikes fell to the ground with a wooden clank. Zak bowed slightly before sticking his sword's tip through it. A white light drifted up to the heavens past him before dissipating. Zak turned and headed away from the Temple. He placed his shield onto the bottom of his feet and slid across the path once more, careful to jump over the Goron's crumpled form on his way down the mountain. Zak let the blood drip freely from his wounds as he slid out onto Termina Field. A small gasp escaped the lips of a woman who happened to spot him.

"Zak? What happened to you?" she asked, "And where in the world is Romani?"

Zak stepped off of his shield and kicked it up into his hands, "Hello, Cremia. She should've returned to the ranch by now."

Cremia shook her head from atop her wagon, "No, I haven't seen her since that incident with the high-pitched whistle. Now I'm really worried. She wasn't with you, was she?"

Zak shook his head, "Not a chance."

"Now I'm really worried," Cremia frowned, "Get in. we're looking for her together."

Unable to see a way out of it, Zak climbed into the back of Cremia's wagon. He wiped off his blood on a large piece of cloth he managed to find in the back that Cremia was using to cover the milk crates. "Head to Great Bay," he commanded, "I think I can get a lead, there."


	17. Chapter 17: Gibdo Mask

Chapter 17: Gibdo Mask.

Cremia tried her best to keep her eyes forward as she drove the wagon. In the back, Zak patted his open wounds with a piece of cloth until the bleeding subsided. When the wagon turned down the slope towards the Great Bay, she couldn't keep her mouth shut any longer.

"What happened?" Cremia asked.

"I fought something," Zak said dismissively, "This isn't anything I can't handle. Don't worry, Romani left before I got these wounds."

She shook her head, "I meant what happened between you and Romani. Did you do something to upset her?"

Zak sighed, "Something like that. It's complicated."

Cremia pulled the wagon to a stop, "Simplify it for me, Zak."

"Romani is out there, somewhere," he pointed out, "You and I don't have time for this."

"You're keeping something from me," she growled, "Spit it out."

Zak sheathed his weapons and hopped out of the wagon. She jumped down and grabbed his arm. He looked at her with an expression of both rage and sorrow. Shocked, Cremia let him go. "Fine," he said, "I told her what would happen if I were to fail in my mission here. If I can't drive away the evil spirits my master left behind, or if I die, then I have to destroy Termina."

Cremia kept herself from laughing, "And Romani believed you? That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Sure, a few bizarre monsters are bad, but destroying an entire country?"

Zak swallowed hard, "There are a few things about this land that you aren't aware of, Cremia. Long ago, when Termina was young, there existed a society in what is now called Ikana Canyon. These individuals discovered an ancient and terrible power, and, in their arrogance, they turned their backs on the Goddesses. Din, Nayru, and Farore did not take kindly to the construction of Stone Tower, which was built as an example of exceeding their heights. Because of the Kingdom of Ikana, the Goddesses have forsaken the land of Termina. It is solely by accident that you are here."

Cremia blinked, "Wait, what are you saying, exactly?"

Zak narrowed his eyes, "Your land is connected to the world of Hyrule by merely a thread. Once removed, Termina will be plunged into darkness. The doorway that led me here is the only reason for Termina's existence. If the doorway is severed, everything you know and love will be destroyed."

"Why is your mission so important?" she asked, almost too stunned for words.

"My enemy is a secretive, manipulative, and ambitious man," Zak said, his eyes downcast, "He used his sorcery to take hold of my father's mind, and the monsters that I am hunting are filled with his poisonous magic. If I fail and don't destroy this place, his influence will corrupt this land, and he'll use it against my world of Hyrule."

She shook her head, "No. I can't believe it. It's too crazy of a story, even for a kid like you. Why, why did you come to our ranch? Are we just pawns to you?"

He turned his back to her, "Believe it or not, but I need Romani's help. She has something that I don't. I made myself a promise when I met you both. I swore that I would not fail in my mission. That promise is something I won't break, but I need to find Romani. If you care about her, help me. If you're too scared, I won't blame you if you head back home."

She grabbed his shoulder, "I won't pretend that I'm not panicking, but I'll help you however I can. By the way, what is it that my sister has that you don't? Is she chosen by the Gods? A reincarnation of the Goddess of Time?"

Smiling, Zak shook his head, "She's a better shot than me."

The two of them headed onto the beach. As Zak marched towards the water, screams echoed from the northern end of the beach. His eyes snapped towards the Pirate's Fortress. Without warning, Zak dove straight into the water. He yelled out as the salty water splashed into his wounds, but he managed to push the pain away as he slipped his mask over his face and swam off towards the Fortress. Cremia wandered around the beach to get closer without having to swim. As Zak swam, he spotted several skeletal fish headed towards him. He yanked out his spear and stabbed at them, killing off a few before swimming closer to the underwater Fortress entrance. He looked back to see the fish that he incapacitated coming back to life. Zak narrowed his eyes. _So that's what it is,_ he thought to himself.

He quickly darted through the underwater entrance and emerged at the pool blocking his entrance to the Fortress itself. Much to his surprise, he found the large pool devoid of any guards. A single motor boat floated in the water. Zak edged over, surprised to see the pool filled completely with the wriggling bodies of skeletal fish. If he fell into the water, they would cannibalize him in minutes. Zak rubbed his chin, thinking of a way to get across. An arrow flew to the Fortresses' entrance high above him with a rope attached to it. Zak looked up to see Cremia standing on the rock formation above him while holding a bow. She tied off her end of the rope to a secure chunk of rock and flashed Zak a positive hand signal. Zak climbed up the rock wall, careful not to fall, until he made it near the top. His foothold gave way, and he felt himself slipping. A hand reached out and grabbed his, pulling him back to the wall. With Cremia's help, Zak managed to climb the rest of the way.

Once on the top, Zak pulled off his shield and slipped it over the top of the rope. He held the leather straps of it with his hands. He lifted himself off of the ground, making sure that the rope would hold him. "Impressive shot," he remarked.

"Thanks," she said, blushing, "I have to ask you something. Where in the world did you learn how to use your shield?"

Zak laughed, "It's a long story. Remind me when I get back, and I'll explain it."

"And if you don't?"

"Princess Zelda," he said before sliding down the rope. As he picked up speed, he heard the rope creak and groan under his weight. The rope frayed on Cremia's end, which forced her to gasp. Zak swung his body to the side, spun himself so his body was above the rope, and let out a grunt of effort just as the rope snapped. Zak flew through the air, his feet barely hitting the edge of the metal platform at the Fortress entrance. Regaining his balance, Zak put away his shield and headed inside. The rope fell that fell into the water was mangled by the bony fish.

Zak stopped short when he entered the Fortress. Large streams of old musty ribbons wrapped around every surface that could hold them. Scores of mummified pirates lumbered about, groaning in agony. As he stepped further, they turned to him and rushed at him, arms outstretched. Zak yanked out his sword and brandished it to his side. As a large group of them approached, he jumped up and slammed the sword down, dispatching several at once. Those who weren't in range were taken out by his mighty circular spin attack. After three more spin attacks, the pirates spotted attacking. high above him on a platform attached to a wooden mast, a bandaged monster peered out over the side. Zak immediately fired his hookshot at it. The tip buried into its face, and the chain retracted. The bandaged monster struggled against him, and Zak felt himself be yanked off of his feet. As he sped up towards it, Zak held out his sword. He collided with the bandaged monster, taking it off of its feet.

Zak swung wildly, but the wrapping around him caught his sword arm. He struggled against his bindings, which only made them tighter. The bandaged monster gripped him tightly around the face with its decrepit hands. Black ooze spilled out from its mouth and covered Zak's face. Luckily, Zak's nose and mouth were safely concealed behind his mask. He shut his eyes until the creature stopped spewing the goo on him. With his free hand, Zak punched the bandaged monster with all of his might. It stumbled back, giving Zak time to rip the bandages off of his arm. He quickly sheathed his sword, still blind, and hurriedly slipped on his silver plated gauntlets.

The monster lunged forwards, grabbing him around the throat. It lifted him off of his feet. Sputtering, Zak gasped for air. He grabbed at the creatures arm, furiously punching at it. The monster's arm snapped in two with a plume of dust, and it screamed out in pain. Zak opened his eyes, now yellow with red irises, and grabbed his sword. The monster charged once more, and Zak spun around in place, using his momentum to draw the sword on his back, and sliced the monster diagonally in half. A mummy-like mask fell to the mesh floor at Zak's feet. His eyes burning, he stabbed the mask straight in half. As the white light drifted up, the bandages around him, the Fortress, and the pirates faded away, along with the bizarre colors in Zak's eyes.

Zak sheathed his sword just in time to catch a glimpse of something purple inside the Fortress entrance across the bridge in front of him. Before he could run up to investigate, an arrow flew out and pierced his stomach. Zak fell to his knee, shocked. A pale Romani with pure white eyes walked out of the Fortress to meet him.


	18. Chapter 18: Captain's Hat

Chapter 18: Captain's Hat.

Four more arrows flew past Romani and stuck into Zak. He called out in surprise. Daku walked out from behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. Zak fell forward, but caught himself with his hands.

"Give it up, son," Daku mocked, "You've lost. See, when I found Romani here, she hated you more than anyone. I offered her the means to stop you from destroying her home, which she accepted all too happily." He walked over to Zak and stood over him. With his foot, he kicked him onto his back. "She really does look just like her, doesn't she? The hair, the eyes..."

"Don't you say it," Zak mumbled weakly, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth.

"Mommy dearest," Daku continued, unsheathing his sword, "Malon." With a quick thrust, Daku stabbed his sword through Zak's midsection. Zak yelled out, pain radiating throughout his entire body. A mighty wind whistled around. It picked up speed, forcing Daku to jump away from Zak. A blue diamond shimmered around Zak a few times before solidifying. He crawled up to his feet, and a shining green ball of light drifted to him. Both Romani's and Daku's eyes widened as he reached into the light. First, he pulled a purple handle out of nothingness, which materialized from out of the sphere into the Great Fairy Sword. The magical blue diamond shimmered again. Romani and Daku fired as many arrows at Zak as they could. He swung the sword at their arrows, batting them away effortlessly. A single pink fairy drifted out of the sword and encircled Zak. He inhaled deeply, and then exhaled as his wounds healed.

"You made a big mistake, today," Zak said, his eyes transfixed on Romani's quivering face, "You took something from me." He pointed his sword at Romani, who strung another arrow and aimed at him. "I command you give it back!"

Zak charged with the giant sword in his hands. Daku jumped up to meet him. Their swords clashed so many times that the sparks obscured their view. Zak swung the two-handed sword effortlessly with one hand, thanks to his Silver Gauntlets, but couldn't find and opening in Daku's assault. Romani fired several arrows, which struck Zak. He stumbled back, and Daku sliced at Zak's head. Daku's sword grinded against Zak's shield, and Zak punched him hard in the face with it. Seizing his opportunity, Zak threw the Great Fairy Sword high into the air, withdrew his Giant's Toothpick in one hand and Gilded Sword in the other, and proceeded to go berserk on Daku's entire body with countless slashes.

Daku yelled out in pain, but Zak didn't stop. Daku bounced from side to side from every slash that Zak delivered, blood spraying all over him as he hacked away. Finally, Zak stopped. He spun around, delivering a double-bladed spin attack that flung Daku's crumpled body off of the bridge. Zak let out a bloodthirsty roar as the Great Fairy Sword stabbed into the ground at his feet. Romani inched backwards, her bow trained on Zak's blood-covered body. She fired several shots, which Zak sliced out of the air with his swords. She slowly ran out of arrows, finally aiming her last one at him. Blue magic erupted from the tip, and she aimed it at his heart.

Zak's eyes widened and he sheathed his swords. When she fired, he reeled back and punched the ground. A colossal half-sphere of fire erupted from around him. Her arrow melted away in its wake, and it fired out in all directions. Romani jumped back, narrowly avoiding it. She jumped down from the bridge in an attempt to find Daku. Zak yanked the Great Fairy sword out of the ground and dove after her. Romani grabbed Daku's quiver and fired a few more arrows at Zak. Much to her surprise, she missed. Zak brandished his sword, spun around, and caught her in the midsection. He flung Romani into the far wall, blood spewing from her mouth. Zak reeled back and threw the Great Fairy sword as hard as he could. It stabbed into the wall next to Romani, snapping her bow into splinters. She limped towards Daku, desperately searching for any sort of weapon.

Zak grabbed her around the throat and held her off of her feet. Tears streamed down his face. "You made me do this!" He plunged his Giant's Toothpick into her midsection. Romani gasped out in a mixture of pain and horror. Zak pulled out his sword and dropped her to the ground.

Dak's unconscious body sat up, _"I'm disappointed in you. Even after all this, you still won't kill them?"_

Zak glared at him, "You're going to have to try harder than that." Magical blue diamonds flickered to life around both Daku and Romani, finally visible. Romani struggled to stand, but couldn't.

 _"This changes nothing, boy,"_ the voice coming from Daku remarked, _"This world is mine."_

Zak narrowed his eyes, "No, it's not." White wings erupted out from behind Daku's back. They enveloped him, and he vanished in a flash of white feathers. Another set of wings appeared around Romani, but Zak grabbed her. Green wind magic surrounded them both, and the wings faded. He let out a sigh, disappointed that the one pulling the strings wasn't stupid enough to still teleport her. Romani stared back at Zak with her white, lifeless eyes. She pulled out a dagger and plunged it into his arm. Zak grabbed her firmly by the back of the neck and planted a kiss onto her lips.

She struggled against him, but soon grew limp in his arms. Zak pulled away from her to see her crying. He couldn't help but smile, as her brilliant blue eyes had returned. Without saying a word, he hugged her tightly. She cried in his arms.

"Thank you," he said, tears in his eyes.

She wiped her face and stared up at him, "Why are you thanking me?"

Zak smiled weakly, "Thanks for coming back to me, Romani. I...I don't think I can do this without you." Smiling, she wiped the tears from his face.

"I'm scared, you know," she admitted, "But, if anyone can save Termina, it's you. It has to be you."

A loud scream rang out from the entrance to the Fortress. Zak stood up, holding Romani in his arms. She scrambled down onto her feet, her legs still shaky. Zak ran over and ripped the Great Fairy Sword out of the wall and bolted towards the source of the screaming. Romani followed, her legs still wobbly.

Zak emerged to see a gigantic skeleton towering out of the pool of bony fish. He cursed out loud, aiming his hookshot at the monster. It scratched at the rock face where Cremia stood in an attempt to maim her. She slid down the opposite side, out of its reach. Cremia screamed out again, terrified. Zak slipped his shield off of his back and put it on his feet before firing the hookshot. Its tip stabbed into the giant skeleton's ribcage. The chain retracted, and he flew towards the pool. Zak slid across the water on his shield, pulling his spear out with his other hand. He flew up the monster's back, and his momentum slowed as he ran over the bumpy bones on its back. He jumped off his shield and grabbed on, stabbing the spear into the monster's spine. It jolted in pain, reaching down at him with its bony hands. Zak pulled out the spear and jumped onto its wrist. It brought him up to its empty eyesocket.

"Your duty is over, Captain!" he shouted, leaping into its eye socket. After a few deft strikes from Zak, the skeleton's entire body cracked. As it fell into dust, Zak struggled to play the song with his blade of grass, but couldn't quite get it to work while falling towards the pool. Romani cleared her throat and sang Zak's Song, long and loud, until the dust vaporized. A hat made up of tiny bones fell into the pool of water next to Zak. He grabbed it with one hand while striking it in two with the other.

Panicked, Romani jumped into the water and swam out to Zak. He sheathed his spear and swam over to his floating shield before Romani reached him. She grabbed him on the shoulders and dunked him in the water.

"How dare you get my sister involved?!" she said hotly, "I oughta beat you senseless, Zak!"

Zak resurfaced, spurting water, "You didn't leave me any choice, you know. Wait..." He searched himself. "Crap. My hookshot is gone. It's probably at the bottom of this pool. Wait here." He dove underwater to go retrieve it.

She smiled while floating in the water, "Always."


	19. Chapter 19: Deku Mask

Chapter 19: Deku Mask.

Romani dismounted from the bizarre white and black horse. She headed towards the Southern Swamp, but stopped short. A massive tree had erupted from the center of the swamp and stretched up high into the sky. She stared at it, an uneasy feeling washing over her. As she headed closer, Zak's words rang in her head.

Zak stood in the doorway of the barn, leaning against the doorframe. Cremia and Romani stared at him, worried that he might fall over. His eyes, yellow and bloodshot, darted back and forth between them. Overcome with a fit of coughing, Zak hacked and sputtered. He spat out black liquid and fell to a knee. Romani rushed over to his side.

"I..." he said weakly, "I have to... get them..."

Romani lifted him up by putting his left arm over her shoulders. Likewise, Cremia grabbed him by the other arm, and they led him into the ranch house. Once inside, the two of them set him down in a dining room chair. He hacked up more black liquid, motioning to get out of the chair. Cremia stopped him with a firm hand.

"We'll take care of this," she said sternly. Romani nodded, unable to keep the concern for Zak from showing on her face.

He shook his head, "No, you don't understand. The monsters that are coming next, they are more powerful than anything we have faced so far."

"Okay," Romani sighed, "What are we talking about, here? How bad could they be?"

Zak swallowed, "The first one to make an appearance should be the Deku monster. I don't know what form it will take, but it'll be coming out of Woodfall."

Cremia eyed him suspiciously, "How could you possibly know this?"

He sighed, "It's complicated. What you need to know is, I know what's coming."

Romani grabbed her bow and slingshot, "I'm going ahead. I'll be back if there isn't anything in the swamp, alright?"

Zak nodded, "Alright. If you don't think you can handle it, don't fight it. I won't stay cursed for too long. Be careful, Romani."

Romani dodged through the mass of biting purple monsters, narrowly avoiding getting chewed up by the carnivorous plants. She fired a few arrows, killing a handful of them in between her and the swamp's entrance. As soon as they fell, replacement plants started to grow. Cursing, she leaped over them, their teeth missing her leg by mere centimeters. She landed hard, rolling across the sticky mud. Romani gasped in surprise. The roots of the tree had blanketed the swamp floor, and they wiggled and twitched violently underfoot. As she notched another arrow, countless large pink flowers blossomed. They fired out Deku nuts at her, which collided in the air, erupting in a blinding flash. Romani covered her eyes, her ears ringing from the explosion. Blindly she fired a few arrows, but they bounced off of the ground harmlessly. She shook her head as her vision returned. The purple Deku Babas surrounded her once more.

Cremia slammed her hand down on the table, rousing Zak from his sleep. "Wake up, kid! My little sister is out there, you know. Fighting your fight."

He yawned, his yellow eyes twitching in their sockets, "I'm aware of that. I didn't expect to be cursed, you know. It's not like I can wipe it away by playing a song."

She sat down in a huff, "Yeah, I realize that. But I'm really worried about her. What if she gets taken capture by that weird purple tunic person again?"

Zak shook his head, "Don't worry about that. There's no way he'll try that again."

She arched an eyebrow, confused, "You sound quite confident about that. Why won't he do it? He succeeded once before."

"He did it because he thought I wouldn't do what I did," Zak explained, "The mastermind behind all of this is a planner, not a brute."

Cremia sighed, "I'll trust your word on that. You clearly know what you're up against. By the way, how is it that you know so much about this?"

"I'm a highly trained warrior from Hyrule," Zak said, "My father was taken by the mastermind while he was sleeping one night, and my mentor sent me here to save him. The problem is, he had ventured into this land before, when he was a child."

"Your father, or your mentor?"

"My mentor. While he was here, he saved the world from evil with the help of several masks," Zak swallowed again, rubbing his tired eyes, "There was something he hadn't counted on while he was here, though. The masks that he collected had all come into contact with the evil he had vanquished, and slowly became corrupted. That corruption was accelerated when the mastermind entered the land of Termina and found all of my mentor's masks. The mastermind intends on using the evil masks to conquer Hyrule."

Cremia scratched her head, "Wow. Why didn't your mentor come back here and deal with it himself?"

Zak scratched the corner of his right eye, "He's far too busy dealing with an emerging threat in Hyrule. In fact, no one of significant strength could be spared to help the land of Termina. I was trained by the Kokiri, the Goron, the Zora, and the Ger- uh, the Hylians as a sign of unity. Due to my father's influence, I was the first of many trained in this fashion."

Cremia whistled, "Sounds like your father is quite something."

Zak nodded, "The purple tunic wearing imposter is a fraction of my father's true strength."

"Speaking of, what's your father's role in all of this?" she asked.

He narrowed his eyes, "I have no idea."

Romani dodged to the left, avoiding the chomping Deku Babas. As she aimed an arrow, she realized that she hadn't the slightest clue as to where to hit. All she could see was a gigantic tree. Out of the pink flowers, Deku heads, made completely of lifeless wood, popped out. They fired large seeds at her. Romani jumped back and forth in an attempt to dodge, but several collided with her, knocking her off of her feet. She gasped, the wind knocked out of her. The tree's roots wrapped around her, and she felt herself falling through completely darkness. Several images of Dekus flew past her as she fell. She held her breath.

Romani landed in a patch of thorny brambles. Yelping in pain, she managed to wrench herself out of the brush. Two huge masses crept around her. In the dim light, she could faintly make out two vines, each easily bigger than her home, covered in large spikes. They reared up, ready to strike. She pulled out her bow and notched an arrow, still unsure where to aim. The tiniest shimmer of light shined through part of the ceiling. Instinctively, she aimed and fired just as the vines lurched at her.

The vines twitched and convulsed, and the tree roots surrounding her ripped open, revealing the target that she hit; a single twisted Deku face. The tree erupted in an explosion of cherry blossoms, all of which spiraling away in the swamp's wind. The Deku's face fell onto the swamp floor at Romani's feet. She sang out Zak's Song, and it split in two. A ghostly Deku scrub drifted up, constructed in pure light.

"Thank you, sweet girl," it said joyfully. It turned into a shimmering ball of white light and faded away. Romani put away her bow and turned around. Daku stared back at her from the Southern Swamp's entrance, his white eyes unable to hide his rage.


	20. Chapter 20: Goron Mask

Chapter 20: Goron Mask.

Daku immediately fired an arrow coated in blue light directly at Romani. Unable to respond, she only managed to cover her eyes and await impact. A loud fluttering of wings rang out, and something appeared between her and Daku.

She stared, wide-eyed in disbelief, as a blond-haired man wearing a green tunic stood in front of her, a red shield held firm in his right hand. Daku's arrow ricocheted off of the shield and hit a tree trunk only a few centimeters from his face. A large chunk of ice formed from the point of the arrow's impact. Daku drew another arrow.

"Why are you here?" The man said sternly, his eyes trained on Daku.

"Uh...um... Zak asked me to come," Romani stuttered.

The man looked back, "Fine. I'll hold him off. You get out of here."

Romani headed towards Termina Field. Daku aimed his bow and fired. His arrow struck a thrown bomb, which knocked him off of his feet. Several sizzling bombs fell around him. He jumped up to his feet and darted away as they exploded. The green man stared him down with an icy glare, his blue eyes piercing Daku's soul.

Daku smirked, pulling out his sword, "So, you've decided to show yourself, Hero of Time. Oh, wait, that's not what you are anymore, is it?"

Link unsheathed his sword, "I used to call you master. Fair trade."

Daku snarled, "Let's see if you can beat your old master, then, Hero. Unless you're scared."

Link twirled his sword in his hand, "I don't have to beat you."

Link and Daku rushed one another. Their sword collided, groaning under the weight of their strike. Link's wrist sparkled with a golden gauntlet. He bashed his shield into Daku, who backflipped over his following strike. Daku landed and slashed, forcing Link to block with his shield. Link slid back, sparks flying around him. He narrowed his eyes. Daku advanced, and Link threw several bombs in his path. Daku dodged through them, and sliced the air at the arrows Link fired in response. Link backflipped before firing his hookshot. Daku slashed it, and the chain wrapped around his sword. Link pulled it tight, and Daku let his sword go. Several arrows flew at Link.

Romani called out, and Zak's strange horse met her in Termina Field. She thought about heading back to the ranch, but decided against it. She didn't have time to go ask Zak where the next mask would be located. A frigid wind blew from the northern end of Termina Field. She kicked the horse up into a gallop and headed that way. She stopped short when she discovered a group of Gorons confronting the Clock Town guards. The guards retreated when Romani broke the Gorons' attention. They approached her slowly, hostility in their eyes. Her horse reared, and then took off at a full sprint up the mountain. The Gorons rolled up and chased after them. Unable to control the horse, Romani held on with all of her strength. They thundered past the Smithy, across the bridges, and straight up to the entrance to Goron Village. A slightly larger than average Goron stood at the entrance. Zak's horse stopped, and Romani dismounted.

"No outsiders allowed," he said sternly. Romani felt the chilly air blowing out of the entrance just beyond the Goron. She narrowed her eyes. If she was right, the next mask was just beyond that door.

"I challenge your patriarch to personal combat," she said in a shaky voice.

The Goron burst out laughing, "You? You'll get crushed like an insect. Go home, little girl."

She stamped her foot, "Let me through. I'm not leaving."

"I admire your tenacity," he remarked, "Very well. Maybe the Great Darmani will take pity on you when you lose." She narrowed her eyes and smirked a little. She followed the Goron up the winding path towards the Patriarch's room. A muscular Goron with spiky hair and shiny metallic patches of skin met her gaze from the Patriarch's seat. It stood up, knowing her intentions immediately. The Goron monster rolled forwards with surprising speed, chasing her back. It uncurled itself, grabbed Romani around the midsection, and pitched her off the side of the walkway.

Link hopped to the side, narrowly dodging the arrows. However, once they flew past him, they exploded, knocking him forwards. He picked himself up just in time to block Daku's stab with his shield. Daku pressed against the shield with all of his might, but Link held firm, despite being off of his feet. He stood up against Daku's might, his jaw clenched.

"Damn you," Daku sneered, "If I hadn't trained you so well, you wouldn't have been such a nuisance to me now."

Link glared at him, "For my master, you are weaker than I thought. You lack focus."

Daku smiled, "Perhaps I shouldn't hold back again you, after all, Hero." Daku knocked Link's shield across the Swamp. It clattered against the ground. He rolled to the side and sliced upwards along Link's body in a corkscrew fashion. Link yelled out in pain, his blood spilling across the swamp floor. He fell to the ground in a heap. Daku stepped on his chest, pinning him down. He placed his blade's tip to Link's throat. Link dropped his sword. Daku lifted his sword up, and brought it down at Link's neck.

The Goron monster stared over the ledge, watching Romani struggle to hold onto the railing. It grabbed her firmly around the wrist and lifted her up effortlessly. As she came face to face with it, she gave it a wide grin. Inside her mouth, Romani held a Deku seed. She spit it into the monster's eye. It recoiled and dropped her. As Romani fell, she pulled out her bow and fired at the Goron monster. Her arrows flew straight past it. It jump off of the ledge after her in an attempt to crush her to death under its immense weight. Romani swallowed hard as she fell. It felt like time was slowing down.

A bright light shined behind the monster, revealing to Romani that her arrows had stuck into a massive chandelier. She loaded a few more arrows and fired as quickly as she could. Romani hit the floor hard. Then, the monster's massive body fell on top of her with a sickly crunch. It stared at her crumpled form, a grin spreading across its lips. The chandelier broke free from its restraints and fell down on top of them both.

Daku swung downwards, and the bomb Link had dropped next to his sword detonated. The blast flung them both through the air and sent them into the water. Link resurfaced, coughing and sputtering. Daku was nowhere to be found. He trudged over to the shore, grabbed his sword, and headed towards Termina Field. He studied the surrounding area as he walked for clues to where Daku might have gone. As he walked, he caught a glimpse of the start of Milk Road. With a groan, he headed towards Romani Ranch.

Out of the wreckage of the demolished chandelier, a glowing white fairy drifted out of Romani's bottle. It drifted around her, surrounding her in a glowing white light. She leaned up, shoving the debris off of her. The Goron monster's body twitched and convulsed like mad. She sang Zak's Song as best she could, and its body dissolved into a mask shaped like a Goron's face. Romani struck it with one of her arrows. A being of white light drifted out of it and faced her.

"Thank you, dear lass," Darmani declared proudly, "At last, I am at peace. You'd make a fine Patriarch, my dear." The spirit transformed into a ball of white light, which dissipated into thin air.

Zak stared at Cremia, who had refused to let him move from his chair. She stared back at him, arms crossed. Finally, he sighed in defeat. "Alright, fine. I'll tell you about Princess Zelda."


	21. Chapter 21: Zora Mask

((Sorry about that little hiatus I took. I spent too much time on my NaNoWriMo novel. Anyway, back to it.))

Chapter 21: Zora Mask.

Romani opened her eyes slowly. She looked around, her eyes adjusting to the dim light. Fire crackled in the corner of the dimly lit rock cave she found herself in. As she sat up, she gasped in surprise when she spotted an enormous Goron staring down at her. He smiled in a friendly way, resting on his stomach with his arms folded underneath. Romani pulled herself up to her feet and dusted herself off. Every muscle in her body ached, and she noticed that her arms were covered in bruises. An innocent-looking frog hopped out from underneath the Goron and up to her. She stared at it, bewildered.

"Good, you're awake," it ribbited, "I was barely able to carry you out of there. Are you injured?"

Romani rubbed her shoulder, "I'll manage. You're... Don Corneo, right?"

The frog nodded, "That's what they call me around here, anyway. You took out that monster posing as the Patriarch, right?"

"I got lucky," Romani replied, "Why am I here, exactly?"

The frog gulped nervously, "Well, let's just say that the Gorons didn't take too kindly to a strange girl dropping a chandelier on their sworn leader; monster or no."

The big Goron spoke up, "Oh, you're the ranch girl's sister, right? Cremia talked a lot about her red-haired sister."

Romani nodded, "Yeah, that's me. Does she come here often?"

"She brings us supplies," Don Corneo said, "I usually need milk for my potions. Anyway, my big friend here says he can get you at least as far as Clock Town. He's got a big shipment of Powder Kegs that he's sending there today."

Romani nodded, "Sounds like a deal. Do I need to pay anything in return?"

The big Goron shook his head, "Nope. You put down that fake Patriarch. That's more than enough, little one. Come, I'll lead you to the wagon that you'll be taking."

Link stared down the Milk Road that led to Romani Ranch. He gripped the strap of his sheath in anguish. A Zora rushed past him, briefly apologizing. The Zora ran towards the ranch with a hookshot in hand. Arching an eyebrow, Link followed the Zora. The Zora got as far as the gate before he noticed Link behind him.

"Listen," he put his hands up, "I don't want any trouble, okay."

Link pointed at the hookshot, "What's that for?"

The Zora swallowed hard, "There's a really powerful mercenary who lives here. Last time he helped us, he demanded a hookshot. I figured that he wouldn't help us again without another one."

Link narrowed his eyes, "What's going on?"

"It's some sort of monster. I mean, it's the craziest thing. It looks like one of us, fights like one of us, but it's... different. Like there's nobody home," the Zora tried his best to explain, "

"I see," Link rubbed his chin in thought, "I'll deal with it. Go somewhere safe."

Before the Zora could respond, Link pulled out a tan ocarina and played a song. White wings enveloped him, and he disappeared. The Zora, bewildered, headed towards the ranch house that housed Zak and Cremia.

Once Link arrived at the Great Bay, he spotted nothing out of the ordinary. He stepped off of the observatory dock, plunging into the water. While swimming to shore, he heard the sounds of someone screaming. Link dragged himself onto shore and rushed over to the other side of the beach, where a large spiny Zora had several innocent Zoras cornered. Without hesitation, Link fired several shots at the monster. It turned around to face him, which allowed the Zoras time to escape into the water. As it moved to follow them, Link fired an ice arrow, freezing a chunk of the water in front of it. The monster recoiled. It roared, several more spikes shooting up out of its back. Link put his bow away and grabbed both his sword and his shield off of his back.

Zak coughed, spitting out black sludge. Cremia carefully ladled out some thick blue liquid into a bottle from a large pot. After his coughing fit subsided, Zak pinched his nose and drank all of the blue goo in one gulp. He fought the urge to vomit out the terribly smelling stuff.

"Ugh," he wiped the tears from his face, careful not to touch his red eyes, "Nasty. Anyway, where was I?"

Cremia took the bottle from him and went into the next room to set it on the kitchen table. She returned and sat down on the wooden chair next to his bed. "You mentioned a Princess before you started coughing," she said.

"Oh. Right," Zak cleared his throat, "Princess Zelda is her name. Long ago, in a brutal fight against an evil king from another nation, she met my father, Daku. I'm not sure of the exact circumstances, but he ended up saving her life. Zelda and my father became close friends from then on. He was allowed to come and go as he pleased into the castle, something the evil king admired about my father. My father was trained by Zelda's bodyguard, Impa, until well into adulthood. The princess felt that there was a need for an elite unit of soldiers to help protect Hyrule, so she, my father, and Impa devised a strict training regimen for young Hylians that encompassed all of the skills of every allied race. Specifically, the Zora, the Goron, and the Sacred Forest."

"How young?" Cremia asked.

"Ten years old," Zak replied, "It came as a shock to me, but my father forced me to be the first child to undergo this training. I'm not sure why he chose me, honestly. Anyway, I was sent to the Gorons first. They taught me how to deal with their special crop, how to take a punch, how to handle scorching temperatures, and how to navigate around in caverns." He started coughing again, but not as furiously. Cremia moved to head back towards the potion, but Zak's coughing subsided.

"After that, I was sent to the Zora's Domain," he continued, wincing, "There, I learned how to swim, how to fight with a spear, how to hold my breath for a long time, how to dive, how to survive in the freezing cold, and how to fish. I spent a long time there."

"Wow," Cremia blinked, "That's so cool. I would love the chance to explore the cultures of everyone around here."

Zak smiled, "I must be making it sound easy and fun. Anyway, after that I headed to the Sacred Forest. I learned how to survive on little to no food, how to look past illusions, how to fight the undead, how to commune with nature, and how to deal with horrible situations."

Cremia wrinkled her nose, "Okay, never mind."

"Which, of course, brings me to training with the Hylians. I learned swordsmanship from my father, how to play an instrument from Impa, and how to handle a shield from Zelda," he wheezed.

"Why would the Princess show you how to use a shield?" Cremia asked. Someone knocked on the front door. She headed over and opened it to find a startled-looking Zora. He swallowed, asking to be let inside. Cremia awkwardly obliged, leading him into Zak's room.

"Oh, thank the Goddess!" the Zora exclaimed, "You're alive! Something terrible has happened! Please, come with me to the Great Bay!"

Zak rolled his eyes, "Hold on, now. I'm not going anywhere. Can't you see I'm bedridden?"

The Zora bit his lip nervously, "Come along. I don't know how much longer the green-tunic wearing man can hold out against such a vile beast."

Zak's eyes widened infinitesimally, "A green tunic, you say? Blond hair, blue eyes, armed to the teeth?"

"Yes, that's him," the Zora nodded.

"And did you say that you're here to ask my help with a Zora-looking monster?" Zak asked.

He nodded, "Why, yes. I am. Did I say that?"

Zak pushed himself up out of bed and grabbed his tunic. Cremia rushed over to stop him, but was easily brushed off by his strong arms. He outfitted himself with his sword, shield, and spear. Zak grabbed both of his hookshots before relieving the Zora of his own.

"The guy who is taking care of your monster will be fine," Zak said sternly, "What he'll need help with is what's coming next. Mind waiting in the barn outside? Me and the miss here need to talk." Bewildered, the Zora walked out and headed towards the barn. Zak fastened the shield to his back.

"Care to tell me what's going on?" Cremia asked, not expecting an answer.

Zak sighed, "The green tunic wearing guy is... he's an acquaintance of mine. He's usually not this early, though."

"Usually?"

"Can't talk," Zak said over his shoulder while dipping three bottles into Cremia's blue goo concoction, "I've got to run."

Link jumped back as several spikes stabbed into the sand where he had been standing. He managed to block a few more that the monster had fired like boomerangs at him head on. A few more flew around in wide arcs, forcing Link to use a quick spin attack with his sword to bat them away. The monster let out a horrifying screech and charged at him. Link launched several bombs around it, forcing it to jump at him. He rolled forward, leaving several bombs in his place. As it came crashing down, the bombs exploded, sending it airborne. Link backflipped, narrowly avoiding his own bombs, and aimed a careful arrow at the monster. It fired another barrage of fins at him, and he fired straight through them. The monster fell to the sand in a big block of ice. Link hid behind his shield, using it to deflect the monster's last attack.

As he headed for the ice block, the monster erupted out of it, firing spines all over the place. Standing too far away, Link wasn't hit by any of the spines. He pulled out a bomb and fastened it to one of his arrows. The monster charged at him, and he took careful aim. It pounced right as he fired the bomb arrow at it. The monster's body was flung into the far rock wall, crashing down in a heap. Link pulled out his ocarina and played Zak's Song. Its body faded away, revealing a spirit that drifted up skywards. The light took the form of a tattooed Zora.

"Hey, it's you," the Zora said with a smile, "The kid who helped me out of the water. I never thought I'd see you again. Hey, thanks for everything. Goodbye, kid." The Zora's spirit turned into a shimmering white ball of light that drifted skywards before fading away. Link put his ocarina to his lips and played another song. White wings erupted out of his back and he disappeared, reappearing in front of the ranch house right as Zak left it.

The two of them stared at one another for a little while, unblinking. Zak swallowed nervously. Link furrowed his brow.

"Zak?"


	22. Chapter 22: Giant's Mask

Chapter 22: Giant's Mask.

Without saying a word, Link and Zak gripped their weapons. In a flurry, Zak unsheathed his spear, while Link pulled out his sword and shield. While Zak walked out of the ranch house, the two encircled each other. Zak smirked, and Link leaped at him, swinging his sword down at him as he jumped through the air. Zak sprang to the side, narrowly dodging the attack. He stabbed at Link, his spear bouncing several times off of Link's shield. Link jumped backwards and fired several arrows at him. Zak turned his back, barely blocking the arrows with the shield on his back. While Zak's back was turned, Link seized his opportunity to charge, sword at the ready. Zak spun around wildly, his spear arching towards Link. At the last second, Link managed to block the attack with his shield, the force of which knocking him off of his feet. As Link tried to get up, Zak stepped on his arm and put the spear tip to his throat.

"No wonder you killed Zak," Link snarled, "Kill me, then. You'll be doing me a favor."

Zak narrowed his eyes, "Did you kill that monster Zora?"

"Why do you care?" Link asked, "You're the enemy."

Zak sheathed his spear, "I don't have time for this. _I'm_ Zak. We don't have a lot of time, and I need your help."

Link's eyes widened, "That's impossible. You're-"

"I have to stop an even bigger threat," Zak interrupted. He extended his hand to help Link up off of the ground, "It's coming out of Ikana Canyon now."

"Why should I trust you?" Link replied, standing up without Zak's assistance.

"You shouldn't," Zak said, handing him his shield, "Follow me. I'll tell you what we're up against on the way."

 _A young Zak followed the royal Hylian guards through the castle. He couldn't help but quiver in his shoes with each step he took. They led him to the throne room and forced him down onto his knees. While he knelt, a woman approached him and touched his chin lightly, forcing his gaze up at her. Zak looked at the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She studied him with her intense, radiant sapphire eyes. She stood up straight and nodded to the guards. They picked him up off of his feet and then left, leaving Zak alone with her._

 _"I am Princess Zelda," she said to him, her voice a soft velvet, "And I am going to train you how to be a true warrior."_

Link stared at Zak, at a loss for words. Zak kept his eyes ahead, unresponsive. The moment of silence grew larger and larger. Link swallowed hard and opened his mouth to reply.

"So, how long exactly have you-" his question was interrupted by an earsplitting roar echoing from the bowels of the Stone Tower. From its entrance, a massive pair of stone hands erupted out, crushing the remains of the door in its palms. A massive stone monster slowly crawled its way out before standing up fully erect. It let out another massive roar, its stone mouth showing two rows of jagged teeth. The monster stood easily as tall as the Clock Tower. As it shook off the debris, Zak jumped off of his horse. Link quickly followed suit. Sensing danger, their horses fled away from them towards the field. Zak pulled out his hookshot and dropped his shield onto the ground.

"What are you planning to do to that thing?" Link asked, bewildered.

Zak aimed the hookshot at the dead tree, "I'm going to climb it, of course. Keep it distracted, alright?" He fired his hookshot, his feet sliding over to the cliff. As he ascended, he grabbed his second hookshot with his other hand and aimed it at his shield. Link pulled out his bow and took aim at the giant stone monster. He charged an arrow of light and waited, bowstring drawn. The monster lumbered closer, closing the gap between them easily. Zak stopped short near the top of the cliff, and fired at his shield. The hookshot struck the back of the shield, bounced up, and wrapped around the strap. He steadied his breathing and studied Link's expression. The stone monster's shadow spilled across them.

"Now!" Zak shouted.

 _Zak held the heavy shield on his arm, all the while staring down his opponent. Zelda haphazardly wiped down her rapier's blade with her gloved fingers. He hoisted his shield up and charged at her. Zelda easily dodged his charge and poked him several times with her sword. Zak swung wildly at her, and she expertly disarmed him of his sword. Zak hid behind his shield, and Zelda stabbed him almost effortlessly in the legs several times. Zak yelled out in pain, dropping his shield. She placed the blade's tip up to his throat._

 _"I told you," she said, amused, "You'll never beat me like that."_

 _"But," he whimpered, blood leaking from a cut he received above his eye, "M-my dad, he-"_

 _"Your dad would get beaten just the same," she declared, "You're too slow. Now, pick up your weapon." Zak motioned to grab his sword, earning him a fresh slash wound from Zelda's rapier. Frustrated, he grabbed at his shield with both hands. She darted to a new position to engage him again. When she lunged, Zak pinned her weapon down with the shield with enough force to snap the tip off. Zelda jumped back, surprised. Seizing his opportunity, Zak charged for his sword. Zelda's pointless rapier struck his shoulder, knocking him down to the ground. Zak struggled to get up, but Zelda forced him down to the ground with her heel._

 _The edge of her blade pressed against his throat, "You're now dead, kid. Attacking only my weapon will do little to stop me. Now, go get cleaned up. That's all for today."_

Zak flung his shield high into the air right as Link fired his light arrow. The arrow clinked against the shield, which knocked the shield out of the hookshot's grasp and sent it flying towards the stone monster. Zak jumped off of the tree, retracting one of his hookshots and firing the other at the stone giant. It swung its massive hand at him, narrowly missing him as he flew past. He deployed his other hookshot's chain.

Link sprinted back towards Termina field, firing wildly at the stone monster with his arrows. Unphased, the monster continued marching towards Clock Town. Zak's other hookshot chain wrapped around the monster's stone wrist. His retracting hookshot brought him to his shield, which was buried into the monster's collarbone area. Zak pulled the chain around the monster's wrist as tightly as he could manage.

"Fire arrow!" Zak shouted at the top of his lungs. Link spotted his hookshot, took aim with an arrow billowing with red magic, and fired. The arrow struck Zak's hookshot, which made the chain glow a bright red. The monster howled out in pain as its hand was torn off by Zak's red hot metal chain. It reached up, grabbed him, and pitched him off. Zak flew up high into the air before he started falling down towards the ground. Link fired one of his hookshots at Zak's shield. It stabbed the shield further into the monster's collarbone. It cried out in pain, desperately clawing at the spot to get the foreign object out of its neck.

Zak put away his hookshots and narrowed himself so he could fall as fast as possible. His left hand was engulfed in green magic, while he right hand had blue magic. The monster turned its attention to Link. Right as Zak nearly hit the ground, he vanished in a flash of green light. The monster swung at Link, who stepped into the iron fittings for his boots and stuck out his hands. The monster's hand pushed down hard on him, and Link slid across the ground even with his iron boots on. He struggled against the monster's strength, aided only by his golden gauntlets. The monster wrapped its hands around him, crushing the wind out of him. Link squirmed in the monster's grip.

 _Zak gasped for air. Zelda held out her hand and fired several more fireballs at him. He hid behind the shield, the heat of her relentless attacks burning his arms and legs. Zak yelled out in pain, but Zelda didn't let up. She leaped to another side of the room and fired a few more fireballs at him. Barely seeing her move, Zak rolled forwards, barely avoiding her first fireball. Desperate, he threw his shield at her. Zelda caught it lazily and spun it around with her free hand while firing more fireballs at him. Zak dodged back and forth. He ran towards the side of the room where his sword had been discarded. Zelda wound up and launched the shield at him. It stabbed right in front of him, showering him with sparks from its collision with his sword. He stared in awe at the shield stuck into the stone floor with two halves of his sword on either side._

 _He was surrounded on all sides with fire. Zelda yawned, and the fire rushed towards him at blinding speeds. Terrified, Zak shielded himself and awaited his gruesome death. Moments passed, and he opened his eyes. Zelda stood in front of him, smiling. She stuck out her hand towards him._

 _"Again," she said, smiling._

Zak zoomed through the air down towards the stone giant monster, fresh from warping himself high up into the air. With his right hand, he activated his blue Love spell while he grabbed his Zora spear with the other. He unsheathed it and held it out in front of him, aiming for one specific spot. As the stone monster crushed Link in its hand, Zak crashed into the monster's collarbone. His spear struck the shield, which, still imbued with the power of Link's light arrow, erupted in a brilliant white light. The stone monster's head exploded from its body, crashing down onto Termina Field. Link fell to the ground out of the monster's grasp, gasping for air. It's body trembled, and he struggled to stand to his feet. He put his ocarina to his lips and played Zak's Song. The body dissolved, leaving nothing but its head, which shrank into a stone mask that covered the head of the wearer with an elaborate mouthpiece carving and carved eyes.

Zak's shield flew out of the crater left behind by the monster's body, slicing the mask in half. A white light drifted out of it and into the sky before fading away. Link took off his iron boots and put away his ocarina. Zak walked over and retrieved his shield.

"You're lucky," Link laughed, "You're too reckless with that shield, you know."

Zak shrugged, "I'll worry about that when it breaks. C'mon, we have more work to do."

Link held onto his knees, "Fine, fine. But, at least give me a chance to catch my breath."

Zak strapped his shield to his back, "Hurry up."


	23. Chapter 23: Odolwa's Remains

Chapter 23: Odolwa's Remains.

Romani stepped out into the South Clock Town area. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck standing straight up. The other townsfolk carried on with their days as normal, not noticing anything out of the ordinary. A deep pit of dread formed in Romani's gut, forcing her to look around. She saw nothing unusual, but felt the need to head out into Termina field.

As she stepped past the guard, she immediately spotted a large pillar of green light spilling what looked to be smoke out around the area. The smoke quickly dissipated when it left its source, and she noticed that nobody else around her seemed to notice.

 _"Come towards the light, my child,"_ a voice beckoned to her. Swallowing nervously, Romani inched towards the pillar, uncertain. _"Everything is alright, my dear,"_ the voice said, doing little to reassure her. She narrowed her eyes, attempting to peer through the smoke. As she squinted, she inched too closely to the light, and a large green hand reached out and grabbed her around the mouth. Struggling to scream, Romani pounded the green hand with her fists as it dragged her into the light.

Once the bright light subsided, Romani found herself in a large clearing. She was unable to see much past the green-tinted smoke that poured down in columns all around her. A few bubbles drifted past. Romani tested the ground beneath her. Her footwear clicked off of it, not unlike stone. She pulled out her bow and began walking forwards.

"Hello?" she called out tentatively, uncertain, "Is anybody out there?"

 _"I can hear you,"_ the voice responded, _"Do not be afraid. I will make everything right again."_

"What are you saying?" she asked.

 _"The one known as Zakku is a plague, an outsider on these lands. He must be eliminated for good, or else this world will vanish into oblivion."_

She shook her head, "That's not true. He's not here to destroy anybody."

 _"You are a plague on these lands, infected by the one known as Zakku. You must be eliminated, or else this world will vanish into oblivion."_

Romani notched an arrow on her bow, "I don't know what's going on, here, but I won't go down so easily, you know."

 _"Your own voice betrays you, child. I have killed you before, and I will again. I so enjoy our talks, Romani. Now, kindly die."_

A massive object ripped through the smoke, revealing a colossal warrior covered in tribal markings. It brandished its massive sword and shield menacingly at her. Romani fired a few arrows, which the warrior deflected effortlessly. It jumped up and slashed down on her. The sword sliced her forearm, proving to be too big for her to dodge. She rolled across the ground before coming to a stop in a heap. The warrior whistled loudly, and several monsters fell from the sky and landed all around her. Beset on all sides, Romani grabbed her bow and took off running. The giant warrior cackled, and the monsters it summoned chased after her.

When Romani managed to get far enough ahead, she fired a few arrows, managing to take out a few weaker monsters. Three lizardmen sprang overhead, all landing on different sides of her. As she held up her bow to fight, the giant warrior's sword smashed into her, knocking her off of her feet. Romani's bow flew from her hand as she fell to the ground once more. The lizardmen lunged at her, swords brandished.

Thinking quickly, Romani grabbed a Deku Nut from her bag and threw it at them. The lizardmen scattered, and she took aim with her slingshot. She fired a handful of seeds at the giant warrior, who backed off a little, unable to block them all. Romani hurried to her bow, but skidded to a stop when the giant warrior's sword smashed down onto it. Romani shielded herself from the force of the impact and the bow splinters it kicked up.

 _"Oh no,"_ the voice responded, faking sympathy, _"Your precious bow is destroyed. What ever will you do?"_

Romani narrowed her eyes, "I'm not going to die here. I can't." The warrior's sword slashed her across the chest. Her blood fell onto the marble floor below her. Shocked, Romani fell to her knees. Gasping for air, she held up her slingshot and aimed at the giant warrior. Unafraid, the warrior advanced while its minions surrounded her. She loaded a bomb into the slingshot and fired it right at the warrior's face.

The bomb fell short, the blast exploding near the giant warrior's feet. As it fell to a knee, Romani emptied all of her bombs, lighting the last one that fell out. Both the giant warrior and its monsters sprang at her, desperate to finish her off. The bomb exploded, sending a chain reaction through the rest, which exploded one after another.

The giant warrior, after it was sent flying, lied in shambles on the ground next to Romani. Blinking the blood out of her eyes, Romani held up her slingshot and pulled it back with a Deku seed inside. She softly hummed Zak's Song, which ripped the giant monster apart. Its wooden tribal mask, adorned with feathers, fell towards the ground. Romani fired her seed, splitting the mask in two. As the two halves fell, a shimmering white light drifted up before dissipating into nothingness.

 _"I see, now,"_ the voice said, _"You have a strong will to live, my dear. However, no matter how strong it is, you'll never get out. Stay there, right where you are, until you are no longer."_

Romani dropped her slingshot, her hands shaking. She stared up at the smoky sky, smiling. "We'll see..." Romani passed out.


	24. Chapter 24: Gyorg's Remains

Chapter 24: Gyorg's Remains.

Link walked in front of Zak, casually whistling to himself. While Zak walked, a feeling of impending doom washed over him. His eyes caught a flash of something near Clock Town. Link continued on, not mentioning anything. Zak clenched his jaw, growing more and more antsy. Link looked over his shoulder.

"We destroyed that monster, right? Now, will you please tell me what's going on?" he asked.

Zak blinked, "Sorry, could you repeat that?"

Link stopped walking, "I mean it. What's going on here?"

Zak sighed, "It's really complicated, to be honest."

He narrowed his eyes, "Uncomplicated it."

"There was a bigger threat here than you guys thought there was," Zak confessed, "And I've kind of been caught up in it."

Link crossed his arms, "Should we be worried?"

Zak sighed, "It wouldn't do you any good. I'll take care of it. I'm the only one who can."

He arched an eyebrow, "Says who?"

"Actually," Zak shook his head, "It hasn't really gone that well for me, so far. Don't worry, I'll figure it out. I need you to head towards Snowhead right now. Something really bad is about to happen."

Link stared at him, "You're kidding. We don't even get a break?"

"You don't want me to answer that," Zak managed a smile, "Just go towards Snowhead. You'll come across what you need to when you get there. Run fast, okay?"

Without another word, Link took off running towards Snowhead. Zak bolted, heading towards Clock Town. He rushed through the town, weaving through scores of people, until he arrived at the West Clock Town exit. A soft blue light pillar glowed outside. With a grunt, Zak sprinted towards it and dove inside. Dozens of blue hands grabbed at him, and he shoved them out of the way, until he found himself in a blue smoky place with smoke pouring down in pillars out of the sky. Zak floated, nearly weightless in the air, as if he was submerged in water. He breathed in and out, testing the bizarre surroundings.

 _"Ah, Zak,"_ a voice greeted him, _"It's been a long time, eh?"_

Zak unsheathed his spear, "Funny. Feels like yesterday to me."

 _"Why do you fight against me? You'll never succeed, you know. It's inevitable. Just let me go, and this nightmare will all be over for you."_

"So you're saying that you're not having fun, then," Zak said with a smirk.

 _"We'll see how much fun I'll be having after my creation tears you in half."_ A colossal fish monster swam above Zak. Hundreds of bony fish skeletons burst from it, diving down towards Zak. He quickly swam away, avoiding their gaping maws. As Zak swam, the fish monster encircled him, spilling out more and more bony fish. Zak gripped his spear and waited for them to get close. He swung it wildly around him, forcing the ones fast enough to dodge him back. The fish monster swam around and lunged at Zak. As Zak dodged, countless bony fish bit down onto any part of him they could find. Zak struggled, desperately trying to pull them off of him. The fish monster grabbed him around the waist and thrashed about. Zak yelled out in pain. He desperately stabbed at the fish monster with his spear, barely able to poke it.

The fish monster released him. Blood clouded the air around Zak, who could only meekly use his arms to right himself. The bony fish darted towards him, and Zak pulled his fist back. Red light shined in the palm of his hand, and he punched it straight down. A sphere of fire encircled him, burning up the bony fish close enough to get hit. The sphere flew off of him, catching enough to give Zak a break. The fish monster lunged at him again, and Zak stabbed the spear expertly at it. The fish's mouth, jagged with sharp teeth, chomped down on his spear and continued swimming. Thrown by the sheer force of the fish monster, Zak's spear was forced out of his hand.

As the fish swam away, it chomped on his spear. Zak pulled out his hookshot and aimed it at the fish monster. It turned, still chewing on the spear, and charged at him again. Zak fired the hookshot, which stuck into the monster's jaw. It tagged him with its fin as it passed, slicing another deep gash into his torso. Zak held on tightly as he could as it flew past. The fish monster dragged him along behind it, nearly yanking his arm out of socket. As Zak held onto the hookshot, he managed to reach up with one of his thumbs and flick the retraction switch. The hookshot slowly reeled in, bringing him closer and closer to the fish monster. It thrashed about wildly, desperate to try and throw Zak off. He clung to the hookshot, even as one of his arms popped and crunched from the force, until he arrived at the fish's gill. He gripped onto the gill with his hands, letting go of the hookshot. The fish monster thrashed and bucked, but Zak managed to hold on. He reached in through the monster's gill and gripped his spear's shaft. It flew up and dove down, straight towards the ground below. Zak managed to pull the spear down further into the fish, and, when the last of the shaft cleared the fish monster's mouth, he stabbed the spear around wildly. Blood bloomed out of its gill, and the fish slowed down. Zak continued stabbing until the fish stopped moving.

Zak pulled out his piece of grass and played Zak's song. The fish monster's body grayed and bubbled away, leaving nothing behind but a grotesque purple fish mask filled with teeth. Now holding his spear free from the restraints of the monster's body, Zak spun it around before slicing the mask in half. A white light drifted out of the mask before dissipating. The magic faded, and Zak landed on his feet, affected by gravity.

 _"No matter how many times I watch you do that,"_ the voice remarked, impressed, _"It always gives me chills. When did you figure that out, again?"_

"Shut up," Zak snapped, sheathing his tooth-marked spear, "I'm coming for you, next."

 _"Not if you can't escape, you're not,"_ the voice cackled.


	25. Chapter 25: Goht's Remains

Chapter 25: Goht's Remains.

Link slowed his run to a walk as he neared the small cliff leading to the summit of Snowhead. As he approached, a red pillar of light emerged from the ground, leaking soft smoke from it. He withdrew his sword and shield and headed towards it cautiously. Several red hands grabbed him and pulled him into the light, despite his protests.

Link found himself in a smoke-filled room with columns of it spilling out from the sky. As he studied the bubbles drifting around, he realized exactly where he was.

 _"The one called Zakku is a plague on this land. He must be eliminated before he can decimate the land of Termina,"_ a voice said. Link held his sword behind him and crouched down low, saying nothing. _"The one called Zakku will destroy everything you hold dear,"_ the voice continued, _"With your help, we can eliminate him once and for all."_ A spiraling energy surrounded Link's sword. First blue, and then it turned orange. _"Wait, what are you doing?"_ Link unleashed a spin attack, sending a massive orange wave around him. The smoke retreated by the action, and the wave crashed into a colossal mechanical bull. It bucked, snorting big clouds of steam from its nostrils. When it stomped down, the ground shook under its weight.

Link put away his sword and dropped his Iron Boot attachments on the ground with a loud crash. The bull trailed one of its front hooves across the ground while Link slipped on his boots. He adjusted the Golden Gauntlets on his wrists, and crouched down in a ready stance. The bull monster charged, and Link held out his hands. The sheer force of the bull pushed Link across the ground at an alarming speed, and Link held onto its horns with all of his might. After a while, the bull's charge slowed, and it thrashed against Link. He pushed against it, slowly pushing it backwards. The bull monster tried to shake him off, but Link held its head firm. Bombs fell out of various opening. Link, unable to dodge, endured the resulting explosions. A loud snap rang in his ears, followed by a sharp pain in his right side.

Link marched forwards, pushing the bull monster backwards with each step. It thrashed its neck back and forth, desperately attempting to throw him off. He forced the bull's head down further, and he jumped out of his boots. The bull monster charged, and Link flipped onto its back. It bucked and kicked in an attempt to throw Link off, but he managed to hold on. Holding himself upright with his thighs, Link pulled out his bow and notched an arrow tipped with a bomb. He took careful aim at the bull's head and fired. The explosion sent the bull to the ground, which pitched Link through the air. He landed hard, rolling across the ground. Link stood up, discovering an immense pain in his leg. The bull monster reared on its hind legs, crashing down. The vibrations took Link off of his feet, and he fell to his knees. Link pulled out another bomb-tipped arrow and pulled back on his bow.

The bull charged, and Link fired his arrow. It caught the bull right in between the eyes, which halted its charge. As the bull collapsed into the ground, chunks of marble flew up and smashed into Link. He blocked his organs with his arms as the stones battered him. The bull monster stood back up and shook off the stone. Several parts of its body began smoking. Link put away his bow and pulled out his sword and shield. He bashed the front of his shield with his sword's hilt, enraging the bull monster.

 _"Why taunt the monster that will be your demise?"_ the voice cackled, _"You're much too foolish to wear that tunic, boy."_

Link dug his good foot into the ground behind him and braced himself. The bull monster charged, roaring loudly as well. As it connected, the loose stone under Link's feet gave way, and the bull passed over him. Sparks flew off of the shield as it ran above him. Using all of his strength to hold the shield, Link tried to find an opening in the bull monster's thick steel hide. With a deft thrust, Link jammed his sword inside of the bull monster's belly. It barreled away, turning around to charge Link again. Link pulled out his bow and took aim with an arrow that shined with a golden light. The bull charged, and Link fired the arrow. It flew underneath the bull and struck something underneath it.

Link sword shined with a holy light, which reverberated through the bull monster's body. Light blew apart several chunks of the bull monster, and its body ripped in half, spraying chunks of metal all over the place. The monster's face, a metallic horned humanoid face with a metal beard covered with intricate symbols, crashed into the floor. Link pulled out another bomb-tipped arrow and fired, blasting the mask to pieces. The white light drifted up out of it.

 _"It matters little,"_ the voice said coldly, _"You will never get out of your new prison. Since you refused to accept my offer, you'll die of your injuries."_ The light stopped drifting up, instead hovering in place. _"What's happening? What are you doing?"_

Link pulled out his ocarina and played a different song. An ancient song. The light quivered, and it took the form of a large hand. The hand wiped away the smoke, revealing a pillar of orange light. Link gathered his sword and his iron boots and limped towards the light. Orange hands reached out and grabbed him, pulling him into the light.


	26. Chapter 26: Twinmold's Remains

Chapter 26: Twinmold's Remains.

Romani felt scared. Her blood poured out of her body and onto the cold marble floor beneath her. She felt her body shivering violently as the coldness set in. A small part of her welcomed the release of death, as opposed to the tremendous amount of pain she felt. However, she still felt scared. Scared to be alone. Scared to die. Scared of what would happen to Zak. Romani reached up her hand towards the green-tinted smoky sky. Some of her blood dripped off of her hand and fell onto her face, but she didn't have the energy left to wipe it off. Her vision faded, and she felt her consciousness slipping away. Terror built up in her throat as she waited for death.

An ancient song rang through the air, one she had never heard before. An earsplitting roar echoed out. She forced her eyes to focus as best she could. Two massive sets of feet stepped on either side of her. The owners of the feet were too tall for her to discern them through the smoke. They called out again, almost as if they were singing in response to the ancient song. As Romani drifted into unconsciousness, a huge hand reached down towards her.

Link stood in a similar place as the one where he fought the large mechanical bull. Underneath his feet the ground felt uneasy, as if he was standing on sand. The voice did not say anything this time, and Link pushed back the smoke with his sword swing. The orange energy struck a spike, which quivered in reaction. Two colossal snake monsters roared in response to Link's presence. They flew high into the air, clicking the spikes on their bodies together. Sparks rained down onto Link, who blocked with his shield. They twirled around one another before diving straight down at him. Link took off running, barely dodging them as they collided down on the spot where he was just standing. Due to their massive size, Link had a hard time deciding how exactly to deal with them. The tips of their tails vanished underneath the sand. The ground rumbled, and their heads erupted out directly in front of Link. He backflipped in an attempt to get out of the way, but got swept up anyway. One of the snake monsters pinched him in between its massive pincers as it soared up into the air. Link pulled out his sword and swung it around wildly, striking the pincer several times. The sword clanged harmlessly against it, but to Link's dismay. Thinking quickly, he pulled out a bomb, lit it, and dropped it down into the monster's mouth. After dropping several bombs, the monster finally shook its head back and forth. Link felt more of his bones shatter from the sheer force. He yelled out in pain. The other snake monster uncoiled and swelled up. Link managed to wrestle himself out of the monster's grip, and he fell down towards the ground below. The other snake monster swelled even further, and then it erupted, firing its spikes all over the place. Link pulled out his shield as one of the gigantic spike rocketed towards him. It slammed into him, knocking him around like a rag doll. He fell to the ground with a sickening thud. He gasped for air, the wind knocked out of him. The snake monsters spun around each other and dove down at him once more. Link pulled out his bow and an arrow and took quick aim at them. His arrow lit up with red magic right before he fired.

Romani opened her eyes. She found herself alone, still in the bizarre smoke-filled place tinted with green. The wound across her chest had been covered with thick yellow bandages, and she felt an unpleasant aftertaste of some kind of medicine on her tongue. She slowly scrambled to her feet, her wounds paining her. Romani headed over to the shattered remains of her bow. With a sigh, she kicked the splinters. As she headed away from her old bow remains, a bright light shined in front of her. Blinking, Romani squinted through the light to find a large wooden chest in front of her. She looked around suspiciously before lifting the lid of the chest. It swung open, revealing a treasure inside. Romani pulled out a sturdy bow from the depth of the chest. Additionally, she found a quiver full of arrows inside. As she strapped both of them onto her back, wincing from the pain of her wounds, the ancient song started playing again. It was different compared to before; the song was played entirely with the calls of strange voices. A pillar of orange light appeared. Romani immediately headed for it.

"Thanks," she whispered, "Whoever you are." The orange hands grabbed her and pulled her into the light.

Link fired several fire arrows at the snake monsters, which forced them away from him. Gaining an opening, Link managed to drag himself to his feet. He immediately started to fall forward again, his legs unable to support his weight. A hand grabbed him by the shoulder, and he managed to balance himself. He looked over his shoulder, expecting to see Zak, but instead saw Romani. The snake monsters roared out, preparing another assault.

"Are you okay?" Romani asked, concerned, "You don't look so well, grasshopper."

Link smiled weakly, "This is nothing. You don't look so good either. Grab that bow of yours and take aim. I've got a plan for these monsters."

The two of them fired fire arrows high into the sky. The snake monsters recoiled, avoiding their assault. They swarmed towards Romani, funneled close together from her fire arrow shots. Link stopped firing, instead pulling back an arrow shining with golden light. As the snake monsters approached Romani, blood stained the bandages on her chest as her wound opened.

"Grasshopper," she called out hesitantly, "Whatever it is you're planning, now is a good time..." The snake monsters' pincers approached Romani, milliseconds away from colliding with her. Link fired a light arrow. It flew straight through their encircled bodies until it shot out from their other end. The monsters fell in half, each half slamming into the ground on either side of the two of them. Link pulled out his ocarina and played Zak's song. Their bodies deteriorated, leaving nothing behind but a three eyed pincer mask. Romani fired a normal arrow into it, splitting it in half.

 _"Impressive,"_ the voice admitted, _"You two make a good team. However, it was my mistake to send a monster to do a person's job. This isn't over, yet."_

Link played another song; the ancient song that Romani had heard earlier. The orange-colored smoky place dissipated, leaving them in Termina field. The white light from the mask disappeared. Link narrowed his eyes at the sinister glint coming from the happy-faced moon.


	27. Chapter 27: Couple's Mask

Chapter 27: Couple's Mask.

Zak sat on the ground next to his shield and spear. While his wounds bled, he pulled out a bottle filled with a thick blue liquid. With great difficulty, he barely managed to pop the cork off. Pinching his nose with one hand, Zak drank the blue liquid with several gulps. He gasped once he was finished, disgusted. Zak stood to his feet and put the bottle away. As the potion coursed through his system, Zak stretched his arms and legs, making sure he could move without too much stiffness. Once he found himself satisfied, Zak looked across the smoky place. Without hesitation, he swiped the smoke away with his spear.

Daku smiled back at him, "Hello, son. It's been a while."

As Link stared in shock at the grinning moon, a glint flung off of it and torpedoed towards the ground. It crashed with a blinding silver light. Both Romani and Link covered their eyes. Right as the light fades, countless arrows fired at Romani. Before she could react, Link's shield appeared between her and the onslaught. The silver arrows bounced against the shield, a few piercing right through it. Link gritted his teeth in pain as arrows stabbed straight into his arm, but he held his ground. The arrows ceased firing. The figure standing before them was a gorgeous woman made completely out of silver with long flowing golden hair. The silver monster placed another arrow on her bow and pulled back the string. Romani motioned to grab her bow, but Link stopped her.

"This one is mine," he said sternly, unsheathing his sword. Unsure, Romani nodded in response. As Link approached the monster, another bright light, this one golden, rocketed towards them from beyond the horizon. She had to squint in order to look at it directly. The golden light crashed down nearby, blinding the two of them once more. Link failed to spot the second volley of arrows from the silver monster, and took the brunt of them before rolling out of the way. The golden flash subsided, revealing a handsome figure of pure gold, a mane surrounding his face. The golden figure produced a golden sword and shield and approached Romani without provocation. She quickly pulled out her bow and fired a coupled arrows at it. The monster blocked them effortlessly, even slicing a few in half with his sword. Romani retreated, creating as much space as she could manage between herself and the golden figure. Link hid behind his shield as the silver figure fired volley after volley of arrows at him. His blood spilled onto the grass below. The arrows stuck in his arms and legs spilled out some silvery liquid as they slowly dissolved. He tried shaking them off, but found them securely buried inside of him. Romani took aim with her bow, and, as she did, an idea struck her. She reached into her bomb bag and hurriedly fastened a bomb to the tip of her arrow. As she held it up, the golden monster sprang at her, its sword brandished. Romani tried to roll out of the way, but couldn't outrun the monster. A deep gash opened up across her back, causing her to yell out in pain. She dropped her bomb-tipped arrow, which blew up when it hit the ground. The resulting explosion sent her and the golden figure flying away from one another. Link called out to Romani, unable to move without being struck with more arrows.

Zak and Daku clashed swords. Daku easily overpowered him, crushing him under the force of his huge sword.

 _"Tell_ _me_ _something,"_ the voice said, _"How_ _many_ _times_ _have_ _you_ _been_ _here,_ _in_ _this_ _very_ _position?_ _It_ _must_ _be_ _exhausting_ _to_ _fight_ _this_ _fight_ _over,_ _and_ _over,_ _and_ _over_ _again."_

Zak shoved Daku back, hopping to the side. Daku responded with a swift spin, which knocked Zak's gilded sword out of his hand.

"Shut up, Interloper," Zak snarled, pulling out his spear, "It doesn't matter how many times I fight your monsters. All I have to do is defeat you once." He thrust the spear at Daku several times, forcing him back. Daku fired a few arrows at Zak, one of which managed to graze his calf.

 _"It_ _must_ _be_ _disheartening,"_ the Interloper chuckled, _"to_ _know_ _that_ _you've_ _been_ _in_ _this_ _position_ _hundreds_ _of_ _times,_ _only_ _to_ _lose_ _to_ _me_ _once_ _again._ _You_ _and_ _that_ _time_ _heretic_ _are_ _only_ _delaying_ _the_ _inevitable."_

Zak clashed his spear against Daku's shield, "We'll see about that."

Romani stood up shakily, her eyes trained on the gold monster. Link huddled under his shield as the silver monster hammered him with an unrelenting barrage of arrows. Romani notched another arrow, took aim, and fired. It sailed right past the golden monster. The golden monster charged her, brandishing its sword. She pulled out a large Deku nut and held it behind her back.

Link lowered his shield as the silver monster had stopped firing at him. Romani's final arrow had shot through the string of its bow and cut it in half. The monster tossed the useless bow to the side and pulled out two glowing silver swords. Link ran at it as fast as his wounded legs could carry him. The monster swung at him. He blocked one sword with his shield, and the other with his own sword. The two of them locked weapons, struggling against one another. Link felt his strength faltering.

As the golden monster swung its sword down at her, Romani gently tossed the Deku nut in its sword's path. As the sword struck the nut, it erupted into a blinding flash of light. The golden monster reeled back, blinded. Seeing her opportunity, Romani grabbed the monster's hand that was holding the sword and shoved the blade through its own head with all of her might. The golden monster thrashed around before collapsing.

Link lost his footing, and the silver monster overpowered him. It stabbed him in the sides and lifted him up into the air. The monster threw him to the ground. The sounds of snapping bones ripped through the air, followed by Link's cries of pain. His sword clattered across the ground, coming to a stop near Romani. The silver monster bounded at Link, aiming to finish him off.

"No!" Romani grabbed the sword and jumped between it and Link. The silver monster slumped over, Link's blade buried in its forehead. Romani struggled to push it over, one of its swords stuck through her left arm. Both if the monsters thrashed violently. Their faces ripped off and flew up high in the air. Romani tried singing Zak's song, but only got about halfway through it. The masks combined, and a brilliant light flashed. A new monster landed in front of Romani. It was white, bipedal, and covered in glowing white markings. Four tentacle-like appendages wriggled around where its arms would have been.

Zak could feel his strength slipping away. Daku hopped from side to side, watching Zak's wide spear swings. He charged forwards, bashing the spear out of the way with his shield. Daku's sword tip met Zak's neck, and Zak dropped his spear. _"You've failed again,"_ the Interloper cackled. Zak dropped his shield onto the ground behind him. Daku thrust his sword, and Zak moved to the side. The sword pierced his right shoulder, and the force of the attack knocked Zak back. He fell onto his shield and slid backwards out of harm's way. Frustrated, Daku pulled out his bow and fired a few arrows at Zak. Zak spun around, pulling his legs and arms in. The arrows flew past him. He jumped up and kicked his shield into his left hand. Daku fired several ice arrows at him. Zak hopped from side to side, narrowly dodging them as he ran towards Daku. Daku tossed a bomb in his way, forcing Zak to stop and shield the resulting explosion. Daku pulled out his sword and slashed at Zak, who took the slash up his left side. Zak's shield smashed right into the side of Daku's face with a sickening crunch. Daku fell crippled to the ground. Zak kicked him hard in the side, ensuring that he wouldn't get up.

The Interloper sighed, _"What a disappointment. You're in no shape to finish this. See you next round, kid."_ The surroundings around Zak faded, and he found himself in Clock Town. The sun, half descended over the horizon, revealed how little time he had left. Zak limped towards North Clock Town, holding his bleeding side.

Romani held up Link's sword in her shaky hands. The white monster bounded backwards, and the lines on its face shined brightly. A massive beam of white light fired from it towards Romani. Unsure of what to do, Romani shielded her eyes in a panic. The bright light struck against something. Link, who had managed to pull himself up into a sitting position, held his bow, having just fired an arrow at the monster's attack. Romani nodded at him and charged at the white monster. Its tentacles shot at her. She continued charging, trying her best to ignore the cuts and gashes ripping open on her arms and legs from the monster's relentless strikes. Link notched another arrow, which shimmered with golden light as he took aim. The monster charged up another beam of light. As it fired at Romani, Link fired his Light Arrow over her right shoulder. The arrow struck the beam, and deflected it just enough to allow Romani to reach the monster. She yelled out with all of her might as she sliced the monster with Link's sword. A deep gash opened up on it, starting from its head and slicing across its torso diagonally. The monster roared, thrashing its tentacles all over the place. Romani was knocked off of her feet, Link's sword flying from her hands. Link pulled out his ocarina and played the Song of Healing. The monster's body disappeared, leaving behind a pure white mask with white markings on its otherwise smooth surface. Romani struggled to her feet, marched over to it, and stomped down as hard as she could on the mask. As the white light of it floated up and faded away, she collapsed in a heap.


	28. Chapter 28: Fierce Deity Mask

Chapter 28: Fierce Deity Mask.

Zak emerged from the fairy fountain in North Clock Town, his injuries mostly healed over. He fastened the top onto the bottle in his hand and slid it back into its rightful place. A loud clunk echoed from South Clock Town. Without hesitating, he took off running towards the Clock Tower. He arrived to see it finish opening. Zak started heading for the stairs, but stopped when he heard the sounds of Link shouting behind him. He turned around to see him carrying an unconscious Romani in his hands. Link approached him, wheezing from his injuries.

"She's fine," he gasped, "What's going on? Where have you been?"

Zak grasped Link on the shoulder and peered directly into his eyes, "I don't have time to explain, but you have to get her out of here."

"I can't leave you here all alone, Zak," Link responded.

Zak shook his head, "You already have. Go through the Clock Tower, back the way you came in. I'll finish up, here."

"Zak..." Link replied, disheartened.

Zak grabbed him and shoved him into the large wooden double doors, "I need you to trust me right now. I'm right behind you." Link reluctantly headed into the depths of the Clock Tower. Above the door, Daku tapped the tip of his sword onto the wood impatiently.

"You know, you could escape right now," Daku pointed out, "Nothing could stop you from running through that door. Not even me. Well, I _might_ be able to kill you before you get out."

Zak fired his hookshot at Daku, who batted it away effortlessly with his forearm. "Damn you," Zak snarled, "You know that this doesn't work this way. I can't leave until I beat him."

Daku yawned, "Yeah, yeah. You always say that. How's that going for you, anyway?"

Zak growled, "Shut up. I only have to kill him once."

"You have to get past me, first," Daku said. He slapped Zak's hookshot attack away once more before turning around and heading upstairs. Frustrated, Zak followed him up to the top of the Clock Tower.

When he arrived at the top of the Clock Tower, Zak found himself standing on the huge wooden face of the clock. Daku stood at the far end, his large sword in hand. Zak pulled his spear out of its holster and pointed its tip at Daku. Several minutes passed. The two of them stared at one another, motionless. Poised to attack.

"Straight to the fight, I see," Daku sighed, "No final words for your old man?"

Zak shook his head, "I've been here five times before. What I wanted to say has already been said."

Daku narrowed his eyes, "Fine. Have it your way. I'm going to enjoy throwing your lifeless corpse off of this clock." Their weapons clanged against one another. Daku shoved the tip of Zak's spear into the clock face with his spear, burying it deep into the wood. Zak jumped back, growling in pain as Daku's sword sliced a thin cut into his hand. Daku advanced, slashing wildly at Zak. Zak barely managed to block his assaults with the shield on his back, of which Daku sliced the straps, sending it clattering to the floor. He rolled forward, narrowly avoiding Daku's sword slash aimed for the back of his neck. Zak popped to his feet, drawing his gilded sword. He and Daku unleashed a spin attack, in opposite directions as one another. Zak's sword struck against Daku's, which sent it flying out of his grip and into the side of the clock face. Zak shouted in frustration and unsheathed his Giant's Toothpick. Daku sheathed his sword and took aim with his bow. He fired several arrows at Zak, who only managed to dodge a few of them. Zak fell to a knee, yanking the arrows out of his legs.

"That's a pity, Zak," Daku shook his head, "I really thought you were better than that." He fired a few more arrows, but Zak successfully managed to bat them away with his sword. Smiling, Daku put away his bow and grabbed his sword and shield. "I was really rooting for you this time, you know. You showed some real promise back at the Pirates' Fortress. Zak, you've really let me down." In response, Zak fired his hookshot past Daku. It wrapped around the hilt of his gilded sword. With a hard pull, Zak dislodged it, sending the sword careening towards the back of Daku's head. Barely seeing the attack, he held his shield up. The gilded sword ripped through the shield, sticking into his side. Daku slowly pulled the sword tip out of his side and tossed the entangled scrap metal of sword and shield to the side. Zak struggled to his feet.

Daku held up his sword. Zak narrowed his eyes, trying to predict his opponent's move. As Daku leaped at him, Zak rolled to his side. Daku's sword crashed down, and Zak jumped up, slicing Daku repeatedly up the back with a corkscrew attack. Sparks flew from Daku, who stumbled forward but managed to stay on his feet. As Zak landed, Daku's sword spun around, slashing him across the chest. The force of the blow knocked Zak off of his feet. He landed flat on his back. Daku jumped up and drove his sword straight through Zak's chest. Zak yelled out, blood erupting from his mouth. Daku ripped his sword from Zak's chest and flung the blood off of it. "That's one."

A pink fairy drifted out of Zak's bottle, surrounding him. Zak slowly stood up, Daku watching him with his sword resting on his shoulder. Zak held up his sword feebly, blood still leaking out of his mouth. Daku popped his neck. He grew in size, roughly thirty centimeters. Tribal lines appeared on his face. His sword grew as well, and the blade split vertically in half. The two blades snaked around one another, meeting once in the middle and again at the blade's tip. Daku twirled the sword around in his hand absentmindedly, "That little sword is no match for me. Resign yourself to defeat." In response, Zak sheathed his Giant's Toothpick and held out his right hand. A green wind surrounded him, and a green sword handle appeared out of a bright green orb of magic. Zak tugged on it, pulling out the Great Fairy Sword. He gripped it in both hands. Daku blinked, unfazed. He slashed the air in front of him with his bizarre sword. Countless flat blue discs of energy rocketed towards Zak. Zak jumped to the side and ran diagonally in an attempt to outrun them. The discs chased him, ripping apart chunks of wood in their wake. Daku fired several blue discs from the sword straight at Zak, who jumped up high in the air. He brought the Great Fairy Sword down at Daku, but Daku easily blocked the attack. With a quick flick of his wrist, Daku sent Zak flying across the Clock Tower. Zak landed shakily on his feet. He looked up to see a wall of blue discs hurtling towards him. Zak summoned the magic blue diamond shield around him. After three hits of Daku's attack, however, the diamond shattered. Zak fell back, his back hitting the side of the clock face. Daku advanced slowly, his white eyes studying Zak intently.

Zak sheathed the Great Fairy Sword into the holster that typically held his spear. Daku fired a few more discs, which Zak dodged by hopping from side to side. He held his hand up near the hilt of his sword. Daku held his sword up high over his head, and blue light gathered around it. Zak inched closer, getting in range. As Daku brought it sword down, releasing a gigantic vertical blue disc from it. Zak spun to the side, avoiding it. The Great Fairy Sword rocketed out of its sheath and slashed Daku diagonally. Daku's eyes widened in shock. The upper half of his body slid off of the bottom half. Zak pulled out a piece of grass and blew into it. The Song of Healing rang out. Daku's body retreated into his face, leaving behind a humanoid face with white eyes and tribal lines. Zak stabbed the Great Fairy Sword through the center of the mask. A large ball of white light drifted out of it before dissipating. The Great Fairy sword cracked, and then exploded into shards.

A black hole opened up in the center of the clock face, glimmering with black-colored energy. Zak pulled his spear out of the floor of the clock face and headed towards the portal, wiping his cheeks with his hands.


	29. Chapter 29: Majora's Mask

Chapter 29: Majora's Mask.

As Zak approached, glowing black hand constructed of magic reached out, grabbed him, and yanked him through the black portal. On the other side, he found himself on a large grassy field with a single tree in the center. He took a step forward, and twenty-eight orbs of white light appeared. The orbs encircled the tree, spinning quite fast. They shrank in, combining together at the base of the tree, accompanied by a blinding flash of white light.

A purple and red mask with yellow thorns on its top and sides was fastened to the tree trunk. Even at a distance Zak could see how big it was; the full mask was bigger than himself, if it was turned on its side. The yellow eyes lit up, and the mask pulled itself off of the tree, its thorns moving from side to side. As it floated into the air, several brown tendrils drifted off of the back towards the ground. Its tendrils shot out and wriggled in random directions as the mask flew towards Zak. He pulled out his spear and readied himself. Orange lasers fired from its eyes, ripping a gash into the grass as it headed for him. He jumped to the side, running away from the laser chasing him. As he ran, the mask's tendrils flung huge spiraling metal tops covered in spikes in his path. Zak jumped over them, and an electric bolt fired out, striking him. He felt his muscles lock up, and he yelled out in pain. The mask launched more spirals at him. An electrical arc joined them all together, and he felt it surge through his body. Zak pried himself out of the electric field. The mask's laser sliced up his side, the force knocking him off of his feet.

The mask hovered closer, firing the laser on either side of Zak. He lunged with his spear, aimed right at the center of the mask. The spear bounced off of the mask, leaving behind nothing, not even a scratch. The tendrils launched at Zak, who jumped backwards in an attempt to dodge them. More spirals flew at him, their spikes digging into his arms and legs as they landed. Zak yelled out in agony as the electricity ripped into him. The mask's laser struck him, pinning him to the ground. Blood spilled from his body, and he struggled against the powerful laser's might. His spear tip struck the mask across the eye, bouncing it back slightly. He struggled to stand, using the spear as a crutch. The electricity ripping through his body again.

 _"That's right,"_ the interloper said, cackling, _"You've haven't been this far too often, have you? Must be hard to remember what the white light did, eh?"_

"Go to hell," Zak spat, blood trailing down his chin. He rolled forwards, and several arrows fired out of the mask's eyes, striking him in the back. It floated higher, completely out of his reach. Zak tried standing, but the lasers struck him in the back, forcing him to the ground.

 _"Too bad,"_ the interloper tutted him, _"You get to die again, don't you? I've never asked, but does it hurt?"_

A fairy drifted out of his bottle, surrounding him with its pink magical energy. Zak stood to his feet, and the mask shot several spirals at him. He ran forwards, narrowly dodging the two lines of arrows striking the ground directly behind him. He charged some blue magic into his free hand, generating a blue diamond of transparent energy around him. The mask fired its powerful lasers at him, striking against the shield. The blue diamond cracked, but managed to hold against the assault. Its tendrils went insane, wriggling like mad. They joined together, forming into giant purple tentacles. The tentacles struck against Zak's shield, destroying it easily. He launched a ball of fire from his hand, which bounced off the mask harmlessly. It spun around in the air a few times from the attack, and Zak charged it, desperate to close the distance between the mask and himself. It fired more arrows at him. They struck the ground, engulfing it in fire. He fired a few more fireballs at the mask, but it batted them away easily with its formed tentacles. Zak, upon arriving directly underneath the mask, reeled back and released a large sphere of magical fire. The sphere launched out in all direction, striking the mask's tentacles. They wriggled and writhed, igniting in flame. As the mask drifted down in reach, Zak struck it with his spear with all of his might.

All of its tendrils stabbed into his body. The mask lifted him up off of the ground. Zak coughed up blood, shocked. Its eyes shined with a menacing yellow light, and its lasers burned right through him. Zak screamed out in pain, struggling against its onslaught. The spear fell from his hands. While it fell, Zak reached out with his hand. Green magic erupted from him, and his spear disappeared. The mask fired countless arrows into his body. Zak, blinded by the blood in his eyes, reached out and felt the front of the mask with his blood-covered hands. He could feel it pull him in closer. He kicked the bottom of the mask futilely. He felt himself lower slightly, and he smirked a little before losing consciousness.

The mask charged its final attack, and Zak's spear struck it in the back. Shocked, the mask released Zak and grabbed at the spear with its tendrils. It collapsed backward onto the ground, the weight of the spear dragging it down.. The force of the impact pushed the tip of the spear through the mask, just enough to pierce it. The mask cracked, webbing out from the spear's point. It shattered, erupting in a blinding white light. A pink fairy drifted out from Zak's last bottle, healing him back from the brink of death. He crawled onto his feet.

Twenty-eight orbs of pure white energy drifted in a slow circle around him. They rushed to at a single point, joining together in a bright flash. Zak covered his eyes. When he looked again, he found a mask laying on the ground in front of him. He reached down and picked it up. The mask looked like a wolf's face, but had white eyes with no irises. Its white fur pattern between its eyes reminded Zak of the symbol of the Zora Sapphire. He felt no evil resonating in the mask. Zak reached out to grab the hilt of his spear, which was sticking out of the ground, only to have it disintegrate into dust in his hands.

 _"Oh, that's too bad,"_ the interloper cooed, _"You only have one sword left, and you're out of fairies. Well, looks like your time is up."_

Zak looked down at the mask, "We'll see, interloper."


	30. Chapter 30: Warrior Mask

(A/N: Thank you for reading this story of mine. This story is one I've been designing for many years, and I am glad that I had the chance to write it. I might do some more Zelda stuff in the future, but, if / when I get to it, I won't be writing about Zak for a little while. Please enjoy my final chapter of Warrior of the Mask.)

Chapter 30: Warrior Mask.

The sky cracked, splintering like glass. Zak's surroundings exploded, raining shards of space and time all around him. He shielded his eyes instinctively until the roaring sound subsided. When Zak looked up, he found himself in a gigantic stone box. In front of him floating high in the air was a light-skinned man with half of his face painted a deep purple. He wore a simple brown robe and held a staff in his left hand. His eyes shined with a menacing yellow light. Zak gripped onto his sword's hilt.

"Ah, yes," the man breathed in deeply, "Welcome back, my time traveling friend."

Zak narrowed his eyes, "Interloper. I'm going to stop you for sure, this time."

Interloper cackled, "Oh, my my. Someone seems incredibly confident today. Is it because of that girl? What's her name again... Romani?"

"Shut up!" Zak snapped back, "I made her a promise."

He shook his head, disappointed, "You're such a fool, kid. I am much more powerful than you can imagine. You'll never stop me. This dimension is mine, and I _will_ use it to destroy the gods who have forsaken us. It is inevitable. You and that foolish goddess can keep trying to stop me for as long as you can manage, but I will eventually become free of this prison."

Zak unsheathed his sword, "Don't count on it, Interloper. Today is the day you die."

Interloper spun the tip of his staff around lazily. Hundreds of gilded swords filled the air. They dropped down towards Zak in waves. He hopped backwards, narrowly avoiding the swords stabbing into the stone floor. He bolted, running as fast as he could. Interloper followed him with the tip of his staff, the swords flying at him. Zak pressed his back against the wall. The swords stabbed at him one at a time. He managed to dodge a few, but they eventually stuck his clothes to the wall. With another lazy wave of his staff, a Great Fairy Sword materialized in front of Zak's face. Interloper pulled back, and the sword followed his gesture. He lunged forwards, the sword launching towards him. Panicked, Zak grabbed the mask with his free hand and held it between the Interloper's sword and his face. Interloper stopped, tilting his head to the side out of curiosity.

"What's that?" Interloper floated down to Zak, snatching the mask out of his hands, "Interesting. I've never seen this before." The skin on his hands touching the mask started to smoke. He arched his eyebrow. The gilded swords pinning Zak to the wall withdrew and clattered to the floor. He absentmindedly tossed the mask at Zak's feet. "Put that on, kid. I want to see what it's capable of."

Zak picked it up with shaky hands, "W-why are you letting me?"

Interloper sighed, "The way I see it, I have all the time in the universe. Make my time here interesting, Zak." Zak put the wolfish mask to his face. It fastened itself to his skin, and pain shot through his entire body. A sickly sound reverberated through the air. Zak doubled over, involuntarily grimacing in pain. He threw his head back, and a canine-like howl echoed through the air. A bright flash of white light shined out, forcing Interloper to cover his eyes. As the light died down, a humanoid wolf monster stood in the spot where Zak was just moments before. His black tunic was replaced by gibdo wrapping, long dark red hair sprouting from his head that flowed with a bizarre magic, his face elongated into a wolf's snout, and his sword replaced with the claws on his hands and feet. Zak clenched his fur-covered fists together in front of him. He had never felt such immense magical power before. He threw his head back and howled. Green wind magic radiated around him, forcing Interloper back.

Interloper grinned menacingly, "Now _that's_ what I'm talking about. That's a mask! C'mon, kid. Don't die too quickly, now." Swords filled the air, all of them pointed at Zak. He bounded towards Interloper, running on all fours. The swords dove down at him. With a growl, Zak summoned dozens of flat blue triangles which deflected the swords. Fire magic erupted out of his mouth and rocketed towards Interloper. Shocked, Interloper zoomed to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack. The torrential of fire followed Interloper, who flew around the room to avoid it. Zak stopped the fire and howled again. He surrounded himself in the green wind, which lifted him off of the ground. He flung himself with immense speed at Interloper, who summoned a wall of hero shields to defend himself. Zak slashed at the shields with his claws, slicing through them with his might. Interloper, cackling like mad, spun his staff around him as Zak struck him with the other claw. Magical fire erupted from him, blasting the two of them apart. Interloper slowed to a stop in midair, while Zak slammed hard into the far wall.

"C'mon," he taunted, "Here, boy." Zak pulled himself out of the wall, growling. He slashed at the air, sending five waves of fire at Interloper. The waves filled up most of the room, but Interloper batted them away with his staff effortlessly. He summoned a plethora of tempered Deku sticks, which spun as they flew towards Zak. Zak summoned the blue shielding magic again, the attack shoving him into the ground. He let out a howl, the green magic flinging the sticks away. With a flick of his wrist, Interloper turned the sticks into hookshots, which all fired at Zak. Zak jumped up, using the green winds to teleport in an attempt to dodge the chains. The hookshot chains stabbed into the walls, creating a maze of chains. Zak launched more fire at Interloper, but the chains caught it and heated up to a red hot. Zak fell to the ground, and Interloper filled the entire ceiling with Great Fairy Swords.

"Die!" he roared, dropping them all at once. Zak got a running start and jumped high into the air at the dropping ceiling of descending swords, which pass right through the Interloper. With a quick look at Interloper, he summoned the power of Farore's Wind, and warped behind him, narrowly missing the tips of the swords plunging into him. Zak reappeared behind the Interloper, and bit hard into his neck. The Interloper froze, stunned by the attack. Using his opportunity, Zak ripped into him; slashing, clawing, and kicking like mad. The Interloper called out in pain, his blood spilling out of him. Zak felt the full fury of the mask take over, and he continued to gore his opponent, losing himself in the carnage.

The Zora Spear pierced Zak's abdomen. Zak released his grip on the Interloper. He looked down to see his own spear sticking through his abdomen. The Interloper vanished, and Zak's Giant's Toothpick sword stabbed him through the side. He reappeared, holding it. Interloper vanished and reappeared, stabbing Zak with the Gilded Sword from the other side. He stabbed him with the Great Fairy Sword from above, and Daku's Giant's Knife from below. Interloper appeared in front of Zak, absentmindedly twirling his staff.

"That was fun," he said, grinning despite his face covered in blood, "You actually hurt me pretty good this time. Too bad for you that it's not enough." Interloper sent Zak to the floor with a crash. Zak's blood erupted out of his snout, as well as his wounds. His consciousness flickered, his vision blurring. Interloper grabbed his red mane with his free hand.

"See you next time, son," he cackled. Zak's life faded away into death.

Zak's eyes snapped open. He coughed violently, struggling to strike out against the Interloper with his bare fists. To his surprise, he found himself floating in a white void. A small, silver fairy floated in front of him. It drifted back and forth, its wings moving in a slow up and down motion.

"I'm a failure," Zak said solemnly, "That mask was the strongest power I could've ever found, and it wasn't enough."

 _"My child,"_ the fairy spoke to his mind, _"There is more than one way to secure a victory. You sent the girl through the exit with the Hero of Time. She is the last remaining survivor of Termina."_

He blinked, "I don't understand why you made me send all of those people back with Link. Once time resets, they are always back where they were, with no memory of me."

The fairy drifted to and fro, _"You have done well. Better than even I could have hoped. Those who are innocent have been spared of a cruel fate. A fate that you and I must now share."_

Zak sighed, "I wish I could've saved you, too. I would've gladly stayed here alone to fight the Interloper and his masks for all of time."

The fairy twirled about, _"Not to worry, Zakku. You have spared me... a version of me, at least. Now, I must do what needs to be done, and sever the entrance of this dimension. With the two of us here, the Interloper will never again reach his brethren with his newfound power."_

"I understand my fate," Zak resigned, "But I wish that I wasn't doomed to this eternal struggle. I wanted to save my home of Hyrule, too. There's a war coming, and I-"

 _"Say no more,"_ the fairy responded warmly, _"The goddesses are kind to those who are heroes. Now's not the time to dwell. You and I have work to do."_

Zak grabbed the mask attached to his belt and looked at it, "I suppose you're right. Let's go back." A bright flash of white light blinded him.

Zak found himself in a square house, completely devoid of life. He kicked the remains of the wall out of his way and headed towards the door. His eyes burned, and he squinted against the sheer brightness of the sun.

Link stepped out into the Lost Woods. Romani stirred in his arms, her eyes slowly opening. She looked up at him, bewildered. "Grasshopper? What's going on?"

Link sighed, "Not to worry. Everything will be okay, now."

She blinked, "I don't understand. Where's Zak?"

He arched an eyebrow, "Wait, you know Zak? That's not possible." Romani shoved herself out of his grasp and rushed towards the tree. As she approached the entrance to Termina, the opening faded, leaving behind nothing but a hollowed out tree. Desperate, Romani clawed at the trunk, tears flowing from her eyes.

"No!" she shouted, pounding her fists against the wood, "He and I were supposed to escape together! He promised me that he would save Termina. Zak had to save Termina! He needs me, Link. He's a terrible shot with a bow and arrow." Link placed a hand onto her shoulder, at a loss for words. She sobbed into her hands.

"Listen," Link spoke up after several minutes, "This area isn't safe. There's a village hidden in the forest that we've built for refugees of Termina. Follow me." He grabbed her arm, but Romani yanked it out of his grasp.

"Leave me alone," she cried, "I'm going to wait for him, okay? He's coming out. He'll be out any minute, now." Link swallowed his grief and headed off, whistling for his horse, Epona. He climbed up onto her and looked back towards the hollow tree containing the sobbing girl. Sighing, Link struck Epona's hindquarters, edging her to a trot. She galloped away into the Lost Woods.

Romani, tired from crying, wiped her eyes and set her slingshot down in the tree. Part of her wished that she had a photo; anything to remember him by. She stood up, adjusting the bow on her back, and turned around to leave the Lost Woods. As she turned, she spooked a young boy of ten years who had approached her. In surprise, he dropped the sword, shield, and spear he was barely able to carry as he fell onto his butt.

"Oh, goodness," Romani helped him up, barely containing her laughter. The boy stood up and gathered his weapons, adjusting his black tunic from the weight.

"Sorry, miss," he said, trying to be brave, "I didn't mean to scare you. I'm on official business to save the world."

Romani bent down, "Oh, is that right? Well, if you're looking for a magical portal, someone must've beaten you to it."

The boy groaned, "Are you serious? Master Link is going to kill me. Well, I guess I'd better go home, then."

"Hold on a minute," Romani inspected the spear in his hand, "If you're not busy, kiddo, I could use a little help. I came here to meet a friend, but we got separated. You wouldn't mind walking me out of here, would you?"

He nodded, "Leave it to me!" The two of them started walking, following the tracks left behind by Link's horse. "Hey," he said, marveling at the bow strapped to her back, "That's so cool! I've never seen a bow like that before."

She smiled, "Thanks. A friend got it for me. If you want, I can teach you how to shoot it properly."

The boy laughed, "I'm pretty bad with bows, but I'll try my best."

As the two of them left the hollowed-out tree, a silver-tinted fairy drifted out from its hiding spot above the tree. It spun around the tree, sprinkling it with its silver fairy dust. The tree shrank, turning into nothing more than a tiny sprout. Satisfied, the silver fairy drifted high up into the air, unassisted by its wings.


End file.
